A Thousand Ways To Love
by RainbowKandiKorn22
Summary: The sequel to Oneshots Through The Heart has arrived! Once again, here you will find a collection of oneshots involving the relationships of the characters of Ninjago, whether they are romantic or platonic. Rated T to be safe. Contains yaoi and yuri. Requests are currently open. Latest oneshot: Garmadon x Zane.
1. A Walking Heater

**Guess who's baaaack! Yep, it's me. I'll still be very busy with schoolwork and stuff, but it won't be as bad as before.**

**I was _going_ to call this "Oneshots Through The Heart 2", but I didn't like that, so I decided to call this "A Thousand Ways To Love".**

**So, for our first oneshot, have some ninjas and a samurai just being bros and bonding during a blackout. Happens after the second season finale. Also, mentions of Christmas. Even though it's only November now. Don't judge me.**

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><p>December in Ninjago City was always an exciting time. Everyone would be outside, hanging coloured lights in the trees along the sidewalks, decorating store windows with anything that would lift their holiday spirits. Freshly-cut pine trees would be brought in from the forests outside the city to be decorated, and the largest one would be erected at the centre of the city to be lit up. Needless to say, they took Christmas decorating very seriously.<p>

However, Ninjago City, unlike the other towns and villages of the region, was almost always unprepared for snow. They never had much reason to prepare because of how rare a heavy snowfall was. So, if a blizzard ever reared its ugly head, power outages would result indefinitely. Even if they had everyone together to fix the issue, it often took a couple of days to bring the power back.

Of course, the Ninja were completely and blissfully unaware of this fact, and were probably the most unprepared for the coming snowstorm. While weather warnings were rampant among television stations, they were happily decorating their group apartment with varying colours of tinsel and beads, singing carols all the while.

"Lloyd! Quit eating the candy canes! We kinda need those!" Kai scolded, snatching them out of the blond's hand and giving them to Cole, who hung them on the branches of the pine tree in the corner of the room.

Lloyd swallowed the remains of the minty candy before he spoke. "You guys have used pretty much all of them for decorations," he complained. "They're gonna go bad by the time Christmas is over. Why can't I have a few?"

"Lloyd, they'll still be good even after Christmas, and your definition of 'a few' is more like twenty," Cole replied with a smirk. "You can have one when we're done decorating, okay?"

Jay, who had been hanging lights along the edges of the window, elbowed him playfully. "Kinda like how your definition of a slice of cake is, like, half of it?" he teased, throwing a candy cane to Lloyd, who smiled gratefully at him before unwrapping it.

Cole narrowed his eyes. "Cake and candy canes are two completely different things. For one thing, cake will go stale if you leave it out for too long."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He turned at the sound of the door opening, rushing over to it when he saw it was Nya, carrying a shopping bag in each hand. Before she could say anything, he pointed up at the ceiling to the sprig of mistletoe hanging by a string.

"Jay, did you hang that there just so you could kiss me?" she asked, a teasing tone in her voice.

He looked away, a blush quickly spreading across his face. "Maybe..."

She rolled her eyes, putting down the bags to place her hands on Jay's freckled cheeks, bringing him close and touching her lips to his for a few seconds. He smiled against her lips, pouting when she separated from him.

Zane peered out from the small kitchen, smiling when he saw the bags in Nya's hands. "Are those the ingredients I asked you to purchase?" he asked.

She nodded, walking over and handing them to him. "It was a bit difficult, though. There's a snowstorm warning in effect, apparently, and now everyone's buying whatever they can to prepare for it." She sat on the couch beside Jay. "Not to mention the snow's coming down pretty hard now."

"I certainly hope I can make dinner before it happens, then," Zane remarked. "I do not know what we would do if it gets too serious."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Apparently, Ninjago City is famous for power outages in the winter, especially if there is a blizzard."

"Well, hopefully it won't be too serious," Cole said, peering out the window at the city below. He felt a twinge of nervousness at the sight of the snow falling from the dark clouds, moving quicker with the addition of the wind. "If we still had our Elemental Blades, we could just ask Jay to bring the power back, but since we don't..."

"Hey, lightning can be used for more than just bring back the power during a blackout!" Jay protested. "But yeah, I guess I see your point. I wish we got to keep them after the battle..."

"We will just have to make do with what we have, Jay," Zane said, putting out the contents of the shopping bags one by one. "If the electricity goes out, then we will cope."

Kai sat down next to Lloyd on the floor, folding his arms and smirking. "Yeah, but these weather warnings happen all the time," he pointed out. "I mean, what are the chances that the power's gonna go out just because of a little wind and snow?"

The power went out the instant he finished his sentence. Though he couldn't see them, he could feel the glares of everyone in the room falling on him. He didn't say anything, instead giving a nervous laugh.

"You just _had_ to go and say that, didn't you?" Cole hissed.

"Hey, it's not my fault the power went out," he snapped. "You want someone to blame, go outside, scream at the sky for a few hours and see where that gets you."

Lloyd gulped. "Well, I sure hope it comes back on soon. The room's already getting pretty cold..."

Zane came to join the others, sitting down on Kai's other side. "I highly doubt the power will be out for longer than one hour. But my probability readings tell me otherwise..."

Nya sighed, inching closer to Jay's side. "Then we'll just have to hope for the best."

The group sat quietly in the darkness, unsure of what to do. Cole had brought a few blankets from the bedroom, but even with all of them draped over one another, they were still very cold. Cole huddled next to Jay, whose teeth were chattering slightly. Nya tried to focus on something other than the cold, but found the task difficult with Jay's shivering.

After two hours of waiting, everyone, minus Zane and Kai, was clutching the blankets closer to their bodies, which were wracked with shivers. Zane watched them with interest, fascinated by how much they were all affected by the decreasing temperature. Being a robot, he knew the room was cold, but he didn't necessarily _feel_ cold. He then looked over at Kai, who seemed almost unaffected by it, and was near to dozing off.

"Kai? How are you not cold like everyone else?" Zane asked.

The brunet's eyes opened, appearing almost annoyed that his sleeping was interrupted. "I'm the Ninja of Fire. It's easier for me to stay warmer than other people. Also, I have most of the blankets." He flinched when he felt Zane's cold hand touch his arm. "But that doesn't mean I can't get cold."

"You are very warm," Zane remarked, inching closer to his side.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at this, and he, too, went closer to Kai. He sighed at the warmth coming from him. "Zane's right. It's almost like sitting next to a heater..." He eventually shut his eyes, resting his head on Kai's shoulder.

Cole, Jay, and Nya exchanged a glance, before moving down from the couch to sit around Kai, relishing in the warmth. Kai was soon surrounded by them, and he frowned, looking up at the ceiling.

"I think if it ever gets cold, we should just stay with Kai," Jay murmured, leaning on Kai's bent knee.

"Definitely," Cole sighed, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"I swear, if I wasn't trying to focus on sleeping, I'd have kicked all of you in the face by now," Kai grumbled, shutting his eyes and attempting to ignore the bodies huddled around him on every side.

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><p><strong>Now, the one thing that's different about my oneshots this time around is that I'm going to be a bit more organized. At the beginning of every oneshot, I will say who requested it (if you want to remain anonymous, that's okay, too), what they requested, and any warnings for it (violence, yaoi, etc).<strong>

**I will write anything that is not: OC pairings of any kind, Self-CenteredShipping (because I still don't understand it), or incest. Other than that, fire away.**

**Stay tuned for whatever the next oneshot will be!**


	2. Allied Affections (Cryptor x Kozu)

**Requested by: Gamer Katie**

**Request: Cryptor/Kozu**

**Warnings: Implied yaoi**

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><p>"Cryptor!" the Overlord's raspy voice hissed through the loudspeaker of the tower. "Come to me at once!"<p>

The general groaned, turning to face the Nindroids sitting at the computer monitors. "Do not stop searching for the Ninja while I am gone," he ordered. "Understood?" He felt a rush of satisfaction, if he could even call it that, when they nodded in unison.

He quickly made his way to the main room on the top floor, going to stand in front of the monitor where the Overlord's "eyes" glared at him. "What is it that you need?" Cryptor demanded. "My Nindroids and I are busy searching for the Ninja, as you are well aware."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," the Overlord said. "Your Nindroids are not efficient enough. At this rate, I will never escape from this prison. I need more allies to destroy the Ninja and capture Lloyd, and you are the only one I can trust with this task."

Cryptor's glowing red eyes glared at this screen. "Let's say we do find more allies. What will happen to the Nindroids? Are we to be cast aside for your new recruits?"

"No, you idiot!" he snapped. "I need both your Nindroids and new allies. The Ninja have shown themselves to be adaptable to you lot, loath as I am to admit it, and I need new enemies for them, a new way to destroy them once and for all!"

Cryptor clenched his fists at his sides, trying to prevent himself from punching the monitor right then. How could the Overlord scold them for being unable to stop the Ninja when all he did was mope around in Borg's systems? He shook his head before he spoke again.

"Understood. But where do you believe we will find these new allies?"

"Search underground, below the tower," he commanded. "I am sensing a familiar life force there. It is fading slowly, however. You'd best make haste."

Cryptor nodded, hurrying out of the room and back to where the other Nindroids were assembled. He ordered for a small group to follow him as they made their way to the base of the tower outside.

"Search for a way underground," he instructed. "If there is something there, the entrance to wherever it is will not be in..." He trailed off when he noticed an odd symbol etched into the ground. "...plain sight." He scuffed at it with his foot, noticing it was a stone panel of some sort.

Cryptor lifted his foot and brought it down forcefully, causing the panel to break into several pieces. He steadied himself when he realized that beneath the panel was a deep pit, the shards of stone clattering to the ground. He tried to see what was at the bottom, but it was far too dark, even for his night vision setting.

He let his intense gaze travel across the Nindroids. "All of you!" he barked. "I have found a passage into the underground. We will use this to find our possible new allies. Now, follow me!" When none of the Nindroids moved, instead exchanging somewhat nervous glances, he snarled, "That was an order."

He went up to the nearest Nindroid, dragging them towards the pit and shoving them in. Its electronic scream echoed from inside. Realizing they had no choice but to enter the hole, the Nindroids leapt in one by one, Cryptor being the last to follow, landing heavily on the stone floor.

From the light filtering in from the surface, he could just barely make out the outlines of human-like creatures. The other Nindroids wandered around the underground cave, wondering just what they were.

One in particular caught Cryptor's attention, and he walked up to them, activating his night vision again, hoping it would work. Strangely enough, they had four arms, and their face was completely white, with the exception of several red marks stretching across their face. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were made entirely out of stone. They stood upright, their eyes closed, but their face otherwise tight with focus.

"You," he stated. "I know that you are alive. Now speak."

The eyes that were once shut snapped open with an audible crack, the irises a bright, eerie green. The figure adjusted their helmet, and slowly moved their stiff limbs, coming forward to stand eye-to-eye with Cryptor. At first, they spoke to him with an odd-sounding language that clearly wasn't English.

"I cannot understand a word you're saying," Cryptor growled. "Now, speak in a language I can understand, or you'll be destroyed where you stand."

The figure narrowed their eyes. "I am General Kozu, leader of the Stone Army," they finally said, their voice distinctly masculine. "You cannot destroy me, even if you tried with all your might. The Overlord created us to be invincible."

Hearing that only made his interest grow. "The Overlord created you?" When he nodded, Cryptor continued, "My Nindroids and I both currently work under the Overlord. He has ordered us to search for new allies to fight the Ninja, and now we have found you."

"If you are asking us to join with you, the answer would be no," Kozu said. "My army is in shambles as it is, after the Overlord was defeated." He looked around at the remains of the Stone Army warriors, who were also beginning to wake up. "But you say that you're going to stop the Ninja..."

"You will not be alone," Cryptor insisted. "My Nindroids will assist your warriors, and with our knowledge, and your strength, the Ninja will not stand a chance."

Kozu looked away momentarily, his eyes thoughtful. He finally looked up, nodding confidently. "I will assist you. From here on, we are allies." As he began to walk away from Cryptor, he added, "Incidentally, you have not given me your name. What is it?"

"I am General Cryptor," he replied, coming up to stand beside Kozu as the Stone Army general barked orders to his warriors in his native language. "And I have a feeling this is the start of a great companionship."

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><p><strong>Thank you, Gamer Katie, for the first request! Stay tuned for the next oneshot!<strong>


	3. Snowflakes (Zane x PIXAL)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123**

**Request: Pixane**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>"We are all different... But I don't feel so different around you."<p>

He remembered when he said this to her, when they had their first moment alone together. He remembered when she denied being different, when she said she was just herself. He remembered on that same day, after shutting down the power to the city, being by her side when she said those words to him:

"We are not so different. We are...compatible?"

Zane realized just how long it had been since that day, and how much he and PIXAL had been through together. When the Golden Master was defeated, and when he was brought out of the Digiverse to live with everyone again, they were finally able to spend more time together, and grew closer to one another as a result.

During this time, PIXAL seemed to have changed, if only slightly. Zane noticed that she was beginning to have her own way of speaking, recognizing she was starting to mimic the way some of the others spoke, especially when it came to Kai.

"Hey, PIXAL!" Kai had yelled one day. "I need to train the students, and now I can't find my sword! Where did you put it?!" She had been helping Zane to organize their classrooms for Zane's return, and had to move some of everyone's equipment to his room again, since they stored it away while he was gone.

"I am not sure," she replied calmly. "But I believe it is in a location many refer to as a closet." Zane felt somewhat amused upon hearing her speak this way. Rarely ever did she respond to anyone, much less Kai, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, real funny," Kai snapped. "But seriously, I'm supposed to be helping the students with training, and now you're pretty much mocking me. As if I don't get enough of that already!" He paused. "And now I can't find those lesson plans for today. This is just _perfect_..."

"What a shame," she said, returning to helping Zane clear away more belongings.

It was as though PIXAL was becoming the opposite of what she originally said she was: an assistant, no more different from anyone else, just herself. Now, she seemed to be becoming her own person, developing her own quirks, her own way of speaking... She seemed to be embracing how unique she was.

As time went on, Zane prepared himself to ask her "the question". He had the others help him with his preparations, and followed their advice on how to carry out the question. Don't rush into it, but don't put it off to the last minute. Give her compliments, but don't overwhelm her with them. Take her somewhere nice, but not incredibly fancy. The final tip: make it memorable, but don't make it flashy.

He decided to take her on a date to the park. They both enjoyed watching the people go by, often in small groups or on their own, and sometimes some of them would stop and say hello to Zane, remembering him as the one who defeated the Golden Master. As they watched these people, Zane wondered if PIXAL had picked up any mannerisms from them, as well.

He guided PIXAL to a nearby bench, sitting down next to her. "It is a lovely day out," he commented. While the temperature was becoming cooler as the season drew nearer to winter, the sun was still shining in the sky, offering some warmth.

The female android nodded. "Yes. I am glad that you chose today for our date. Had you chosen any other day, the chances of weather like this would be much lower." She turned to face him. "But I am sensing there is another reason you chose today."

"Yes. It has been exactly four months since I was brought back from the Digiverse," he began. He took a deep, steady breath before continuing. "and I decided that such an event deserves something of even greater importance."

PIXAL stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I would think that bringing you back would always stand out as the most important event."

Zane smiled, then looked away sheepishly. He didn't know where to start, let alone what to say next. He focused on just clearing his mind, hoping an idea would come to him. When he looked back up at her, her curious gaze finally gave him an idea.

"PIXAL... You are truly special to me," he murmured. "You're unique, no matter how many times you have denied my claims."

PIXAL gave a small smile. "And I will continue to tell you I am no different than you," she replied. "You said so yourself, all those months ago. You do not feel so different around me. We are almost the same."

"On the outside, perhaps, but we both have our own personalities, our own interests, our own thoughts..." He cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. "PIXAL, can you do me a favour, please?"

"Of course."

"Close your eyes." When she did so, he pulled the tiny box out of his pocket and opened it, feeling slightly nervous upon seeing what was inside. "Now give me your hand."

PIXAL, still confused as to what Zane was planning, stretched her left hand out to him. She didn't know what to expect next, but what she felt was something being slid over her ring finger.

"You may open your eyes now."

Her green eyes darted down to look at her hand, and felt surprised by what she saw. Zane had given her a silver ring, decorated with snowflake motifs along the sides. In the centre of the ring lay a small sapphire stone, two more silver snowflakes spreading out from beneath it. She looked into Zane's eyes.

"Zane?" she finally questioned. "What is this?"

"Snowflakes, at first glance, may look the same," he explained. "Many people will not look closer, since they may not care whether some are different than others." He took PIXAL's hand in his. "But when you look closer, you will see that they all have their own designs, and they are all unique in their own way.

"People are the same, so it is said. We may all be the same, but at the same time we are all different. And out of everyone I have met...you are the most unique person I have ever met, as well as the most similar to me. I can relate to you the most out of any of my friends."

PIXAL looked down at the ring again to hide her growing smile. "What are you saying?" she asked.

Zane lifted PIXAL's hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it gently. "By giving this ring to you, PIXAL, I am asking you if you would marry me. It would be an honour if I could spend the rest of my life with you."

PIXAL was quiet for a moment. Her green gaze switched periodically from Zane's eyes to back down at the ring, then back to him again. She stayed quiet for so long that Zane started to wonder if she didn't return his feelings in that way, or that she wanted to wait for a while longer before agreeing. His voice hitched in his throat when she finally spoke.

"If it means we will stay together from now on," she murmured. "If it means spending the rest of my life with you...then yes. Yes, Zane, I will marry you."

Zane didn't know how to respond, instead pulling her close for a hug, which she gratefully returned. He had no idea how to describe how he felt at that moment. Happiness and joy didn't even begin to scratch the surface. When they pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers, a wide grin present on his face.

"We are unique, yet we aren't so different from each other," he whispered. "And now, we'll always be together...won't we?"

PIXAL gripped his hand tightly. "Always," she promised.

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><p><strong>On PIXAL's characterization: Did anyone else notice that in Codename: Arcturus she showed a bit more of a personality? To me it seemed like she was just a bit more snarky than before (not a bad thing, mind you). I dunno, just a thought.<strong>

**Thanks LucyBrick123 for the request!**


	4. Five Syllables (Jay x Nya)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123, Awesomesauce Samurai 15**

**Request: Jaya**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>Jay sat down at his desk, pulling out a piece of paper and a sharpened pencil. He took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. "Okay, Nya," he said, determination filling his voice. "Prepare to be blinded by my creativity! I will show to you that I can be the best boyfriend you have ever had!" He raised a fist into the air. "I will not fail!"<p>

"Jay, shut up!" Cole shouted from outside in the hallway. "The entire building can hear you!"

The redhead sat back down, glaring at the door, and looked back down at the blank piece of paper. It was about a year after Lloyd defeated the Overlord, and a few months after his and Nya's one-year anniversary of when they started dating. He decided that for such an event, he would write her a poem.

Jay grinned as the pencil tip touched the paper and he began to write. "Roses are red," he murmured aloud. "Violets are..." He shook his head and put the pencil down, picking up the paper and crumpling it into a ball and throwing it over his shoulder.

"No, it has to be something original. Think, Jay, think!" He pressed his hands against the sides of his head, gripping handfuls of hair as he struggled for an idea. While he constantly said he wrote poetry often, he was now at a complete loss as to what he would write. He'd never written anything for Nya before, how was he supposed to do that now?

"Maybe we could try something else..." He pulled out another piece of paper and wrote out the first few sentences. "Hair black as night, lips red as cherries..." He crumpled the paper up again and groaned. "Already been used by someone."

Pencil to the paper. Crumple. "That doesn't even make sense!"

Pencil to the paper. Crumple. "She'll just think I'm weird if I give her this one!"

Pencil to the paper. Crumple. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Stupid, useless, empty brain!"

Jay slammed his head against the surface of the desk, pounding his fist against it. "Why can't I think of anything?" he grumbled. He looked to the side, spotting the notebook in which he wrote most of his poems. He picked it up and opened it, curiously flipping through the pages, hoping he could draw some kind of inspiration from his previous poems.

He visibly cringed at the writing he saw. It was a complete mishmash of flowery or disturbing descriptions and words. All of the poems he wrote down were either too cheesy or too dark for him to give to Nya. He groaned again, snapping the book shut and throwing it across the room.

"I need to be inspired," he decided. He grinned suddenly. "Maybe if I talk to the guys I'll figure out what Nya likes! I'll be sure to impress her then!" Jay sprang from the desk and rushed out the door, running down the hall to Kai's room.

"Hey, Kai! You in here?!" he shouted. "I need to ask you something!"

"I'm in here," the brunet responded, poking his head out from the doorway to his small bedroom. "Can you make it quick? I just got out of the shower and I would love to wear clothing right now."

Jay rolled his eyes at the last comment. "Okay, well, I want to do something special for Nya for our one-year anniversary, and I just wanted to know what she likes. I want to be able to impress her, you know?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't your one-year anniversary thing a few months ago?" He shook his head, not knowing why or how he knew that. "Anyway, what does she like...?" Looking up to the ceiling, deep in thought, he said slowly, "Well, she likes you, obviously, and she likes...the colour blue, and, umm..."

"You have no idea what she likes, do you?" Jay asked, his blue eyes narrowing.

"Hey, give me a second!" Kai snapped. "I'm still thinking!" After a moment of silence, Kai spoke again, "Wait, now I remember! She likes Haiku poetry."

"Haiku?"

"Yeah. You know, five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, and five on the third? It's usually written with really descriptive words, but it doesn't rhyme and it's still really simple in its own way."

Jay stared at the ground. He was surprised there was another way to write poetry besides having it rhyme. As he thought about what he would write, he suddenly came up with an even better idea than before, knowing exactly what he would write for Nya now.

"Hey, you know what else she likes?" Kai asked.

"What?"

"When you leave me alone." The fire ninja slammed the bedroom door. "Now please go away."

Jay opened his mouth to say more, to thank Kai for giving him an idea for the poem he would write, but decided against it and raced back to his own room, pulling out another piece of paper and writing once more.

Later that day, he met up with Nya outside the apartment complex, feeling a bit nervous as he looked over the Haiku poem again. He hoped she would like it, but at the same time he wasn't even sure if _he_ liked it.

"So, we can finally celebrate our one-year anniversary, huh?" Nya commented, smiling at Jay as he approached. "I'd say it's about time. Any longer, and our second-year anniversary would have been coming soon."

Jay laughed nervously. "Yeah... Um, hey, so I was thinking that for something like this I would do something nice for you, so I..." He trailed off, not sure how he would word what he would say next.

Nya raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" she said expectantly. "What did you do, Jay?"

He gulped, reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out the folded piece of paper. He looked over his poem again, then looked back up at Nya, then back down again. "I decided to write you a poem. I just don't know if you'll like it." He inhaled slowly, and after another long pause he began to read the poem out loud.

"Strong, kind, and clever," he said, his voice shaking slightly. He took another deep breath to steady himself. "A brilliant light to my life, my beloved Nya." When he looked up, she looked slightly confused, and held out her hand towards him. He handed her the paper and waited anxiously as she read over the poem.

"This... This is a Haiku, isn't it?" she asked. "How did you know I liked this kind of poetry?"

Jay grinned lopsidedly. "Well, I kinda went to Kai and asked him. I really wanted to write you a poem that you would like, and none of the stuff I wrote sounded good enough, or it just sounded weird, and I couldn't come up with anything else, so I-"

His rambling was interrupted as Nya pressed her lips against his, caressing his face in her hands. He immediately flushed a bright pink, and he kissed back gratefully, trying to stifle a nervous laugh. She stroked her thumbs against his freckled cheeks, eliciting a calm sigh from him, before she finally separated from him.

"So, uh..." Jay murmured. "Did you like it? The poem?"

Nya nodded, a wide smile present on her face. "It was wonderful, Jay. Thank you." She pulled him into a hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I love you so much."

"Yeah... I do, too, Nya. I mean, I love you too, not I love me, but... Oh, you know what I mean!" He frowned as Nya laughed at his awkward tone of voice, but then smiled again, remembering how much he loved to hear her laugh.

Nya suddenly pulled back from the hug, the look on her face suddenly serious. "I wasn't supposed to get you anything for our anniversary, was I?"

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><p><strong>If anyone's confused as to where the Ninja are living in this oneshot or as to where they are, they're in that Hero's Suite thing. Yeah.<strong>

**So, I'm basically doing the requests in the order that they're received, so don't worry if your request doesn't show up right after you send it in. It'll show up soon enough, don't worry :)**

**Oh, and I forgot to mention this: I'm not going to do any Ninja x Reader oneshots. Mostly because they're apparently against the rules or something. So...yeah.**

**Thanks, LucyBrick123 and Awesomesauce Samurai 15!**


	5. Odd Combination (Garmadon x Kai)

**Requested by: Guest**

**Request: Garmadon/Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi, hero x villain ship**

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><p>Kai walked hastily into the lounge, slamming the door behind him and slumping against it, breathing a sigh of relief. Ever since Garmadon came to stay with them on the Bounty to look for Lloyd, the others would not stop talking about how he was just "a normal guy" or that he "didn't seem that evil at all".<p>

_How can everyone be so easily fooled by that guy?_ he thought as he turned on the television, hooking up the game system, grabbing one of the controllers beside it. _Am I the only sane one around here now?_

He sat down on the couch to wait for the game to load, tilting his head back and shutting his eyes. Every time he even tried to relax, all he could remember was that Garmadon, Lord of the Underworld, was on their ship. He could be preparing to attack any of them right now. He could be preparing to steal the Golden Weapons from them at any time. Hell, he could even be sitting next to Kai at this moment and he wouldn't even notice.

At that thought, Kai snapped his head to look beside him, feeling happy that the man wasn't staring back at him, that detestable grin on his face, those red eyes brimming with arrogance. Even the mere thought of his appearance sent an angered shiver up Kai's spine.

At the same time, however, a voice in Kai's head was constantly trying to fight his thoughts. _Perhaps everyone else is right_, it would say. _Maybe Garmadon doesn't want to kill you and you're just being paranoid. This is his _son_, after all. He wouldn't attack the people who were trying to help save his son_.

Kai groaned out loud, throwing the controller to his side and bringing his hands up to clench fistfuls of his own hair. "I don't even know what to think anymore!" he cried. "He's evil! That's all there is to it!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Kai leapt nearly three feet off the couch at the sound of that familiar voice, and he turned his head to stare behind him. Of course, there was Garmadon, that arrogant grin on his face as always.

"How did you get in here?!" Kai whisper-shouted as the man settled himself beside him on the couch, wrapping two of his arms around the brunet's waist to prevent him from leaving.

Garmadon shrugged. "I was just in here waiting," he explained. "I was hoping I'd find someone in here eventually, and I am quite glad it was you." He chuckled at how Kai's nose scrunched up in disgust and discomfort. "You look hilarious when you get scared."

"Yeah, well, I'd really like it if you just left," he replied bitterly, trying to shove Garmadon away. He felt his frustration grow when Garmadon didn't move, but rather inched closer to his side. "I want to be alone for once."

"Aww, do you not enjoy my company?"

"To be completely honest, I'm almost disgusted by it."

"That's too bad. Out of everyone on this ship, I'd like to get to know you the most." He brought another hand up to ruffle Kai's already-messy hair, earning an annoyed grunt from him.

"Seriously, just go away," Kai snapped, grabbing the game controller again and turning his attention to the television, not bothering to look Garmadon in the eye. "I never get any time for myself anymore, and now you're ruining it. All I want is to beat this game without any interruptions."

As Kai's thumbs quickly mashed the buttons on the controller, Garmadon looked at the television screen and watched the character move across it, wondering just what was so entertaining about the game. He felt rather amused by the faces Kai made as he played, from scowling, to relaxed smiles, to a look of utter disbelief.

He had to admit, Kai was probably the most interesting of all the Ninja, with his near-constant mood swings to having a natural protective nature over his teammates and sister. It was such a strange combination of characteristics, but it was that combination that caught Garmadon's attention. It reminded him of himself, he realized, having once felt very protective over Wu while fighting the darkness that spread through his veins. Kai was just like how he was when he was young. Perhaps that was why he felt such an odd attachment to him.

As he was left to his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed that his hands were now moving up and down against Kai's sides. Kai tried his best to ignore it, but couldn't help how his sides twitched every so often from the touch. Garmadon's attention was finally brought back to the present when Kai tried to shake the hands off.

"What did I say about distracting me?" Kai growled, not looking away from the screen.

An idea suddenly came to Garmadon, and he smirked, using the two arms looped around Kai's waist to yank him closer. The brunet gave a grunt of surprise, but still held the controller tightly in his hands, keeping his focus on the game.

Garmadon shook his head in disappointment, pulling the controller out of his hands and setting it on the floor. The "Game Over" music started to play a few seconds after he did so.

"Oh, come on!" Kai yelled, turning to glare at Garmadon, only for his next angry outburst to be interrupted by Garmadon's other two arms wrapping around his body. "What are you doing?" he asked warily.

Garmadon didn't reply. Instead, he brought Kai closer into a hug, letting his hands rub up and down the fire ninja's back in a soothing manner. Kai remained very suspicious at first, not letting the scowl drop from his face. After a while, though, he relaxed and shut his eyes, gingerly reaching his arms up to return the hug.

Garmadon pulled away and he smiled again. It wasn't a normal smile, nor was it a smirk. Rather, it was an odd combination of the two, and Kai couldn't help but smile back nervously.

"I'm not all bad, Kai," the man murmured, standing up and heading for the door. "I just want to get my son back."

The smile on Kai's face grew a little wider as Garmadon left, and he bent down to pick up the controller. Turning back to the game, he saw the "Low Battery" symbol flash in the top corner of the screen. He shrugged and reached into his pocket for the spare batteries he usually kept with him when he played video games, only to find they weren't there.

Garmadon stood just outside the door, out of Kai's sight, stifling back his laughter as he heard Kai giving an overly-loud sigh of defeat, looking down at the batteries in his own hand. _He may be an interesting person_, he thought. _But he's still an idiot._

* * *

><p><strong>Two notes:<strong>

**One, even though season four is coming up quickly, I'm not going to write any ships involving the characters introduced in that season (Skylar, etc.) yet. I want to wait until those seasons are actually out to write anything for those characters.**

**Two, please do not tell me what ships I should NOT write for. That kind of rustles my jimmies. Also, it's rude.**

**Stay tuned!**


	6. Sweet Tooth (Cole x Cake)

**Requested by: Isla-Robin-295**

**Request: Cole/Cake**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>The five ninja walked down the streets of Ninjago, looking through store windows as cars whizzed by on the roads. Nya sent them shopping for groceries that day, since she and Sensei Wu were busy moving into the new shared apartment they got after Lloyd defeated the Overlord.<p>

"Alright, let's have a look here..." Kai muttered under his breath, looking down at the shopping list Nya gave to them. "We need to pick up milk, eggs, bread, shampoo for everyone and for myself...hair gel."

Jay raised an eyebrow upon hearing the last item. "Why do you need more hair gel? Can't you just be like a normal person and, oh I dunno, brush your hair?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Without hair gel, my hair is really straight and it makes me look like my sister," he explained. "I think I'll pass on not using hair gel."

Zane walked ahead of the group, peering into the window of a women's clothing store. "These are some very strange clothing articles," he said. "Not only is the fabric very thin, but they do not look like they would hold together very well."

Jay came up to the nindroid's side to see what he was looking at, then quickly pulled him away, his face red and his eyes wide. "Zane, we do not need to look at those today."

"Perhaps we could find a gift for Nya in there?"

"No!" Jay paused, looking away in thought, before repeating. "No. L-later, right now we need to finish shopping." He pushed Zane ahead, still glancing back at the store's window nervously.

Lloyd walked by Kai's side, not knowing or caring what Jay was thinking about at that moment. As they walked, however, his red eyes narrowed in confusion. "Um, guys?" he said. "Where's Cole? He was here a few seconds ago, wasn't he?"

"He passed us...I think," Jay replied. "I'm not really sure. He was running pretty quickly."

Kai was confused at first, until the realization hit him. He groaned, slapping his palm against his forehead. "Keep going straight until you get to the crosswalk, then turn right." He had been through a situation like this many times before, and was pretty much used to Cole's behaviour now.

Zane, Lloyd, and Jay exchanged a curious glance, shrugged, then followed Kai's directions. Upon turning the corner, they saw what would have definitely caught Cole's attention. In bold pink lettering, a sign read "Ninjago City Bakery", and pressed up against the window, green eyes wide in adoration, was Cole.

"Okay, Cole, let's try to focus on shopping right now, okay?" Kai called. "Like, you know, for stuff on the list? Like we were supposed to be doing this entire time?"

Cole didn't appear to be listening, and instead squished his face closer into the window. Kai shook his head slowly from side to side, going over to try and pull him away in case the shopkeeper came out to yell at them.

Kai gripped Cole's upper arm firmly and gave a strong pull, grunting with the effort. Even after the defeat of the Overlord, Cole seemed to have been working out a lot, which only made his super-strength more noticeable. The others joined in trying to drag Cole away, but the earth ninja stayed put.

"Ugh, come on, Cole," Jay groaned. "We're supposed to be getting groceries, not dealing with your stupid cake obsession."

"But look at it, you guys," Cole finally said, his voice muffled. "Look at that beautiful work of art!"

They came up behind Cole to look in the window, and besides the somewhat startled face of an employee, they saw a double-tiered cake perched on the table near the window, coated from top to bottom in chocolate frosting. Strawberries, which were also covered in chocolate, dotted the edges of each layer, with small dollops of white cream in between each one.

"Isn't it the greatest thing you've ever seen?" asked Cole, pulling himself away from the window. "I need to buy it. I need it! Come on, where's the money we have?" He grabbed Kai by the shoulders, patting at the brunet's pockets, both front and back, looking for the money that Nya gave them to spend.

Kai pushed his hands away. "Cole, seriously, there are more important things we need to be thinking about, like actually buying groceries. Now, come on, let's just go to the store and get the stuff we need."

"But it's not that expensive!"

"Cole, the cake is over sixty bucks! Nya only gave us one hundred to spend!"

He crouched down on his knees and peered up at Kai, his green eyes glimmering hopefully. Kai looked away, not wanting to give in to his puppy-dog eyes, but he took another glance down anyway. Jay merely shook his head at Cole's pathetic attempts at getting what he wanted, while Zane and Lloyd looked on in anticipation.

Finally, Kai rolled his eyes and pulled his wallet out of his coat pocket, pulling out the correct amount of money for the cake. "If Nya kicks our butts for not being able to buy everything we needed, I'm blaming you for it."

Cole immediately jumped up, beaming, and snatched the money from Kai's hand, darting through the bakery door and straight up to the cash register.

"I...really think Cole needs to see a doctor," Lloyd mumbled.

"And probably some kind of therapist," Jay added, still frowning.

"As well as a dentist," concluded Kai when Cole came out of the bakery carrying a large white box, licking his lips. "You know, eventually."

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><p><strong>Thank you, Isla-Robin-295 for requesting! This is such a hilarious ship, you have no idea.<strong>

**And as for the previous oneshot, thank you Guest for requesting Garmadon/Kai! I can't believe I forgot to thank you for it, because now it's pretty much one of my favourite villain ships thanks to you!**

**Stay tuned!**


	7. Shooting Star (Zane x Jay)

**Requested by: PurplePandaPancakes**

**Request: Zane/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Jay unrolled the blankets out onto the hard deck of the Bounty. Pale light from the full moon in the sky illuminated his features, showing off his excited gaze and wide grin clearer than before. He looked up at the cloudless night sky, feeling proud that he chose the perfect night for stargazing.<p>

_Hopefully Zane will be out soon,_ Jay thought as he settled down on one of the blankets, bringing his knees up to his chest. _I don't want that note I wrote telling him to come out here to go to waste_.

"Jay?" The redhead turned his head at the sound of Zane quietly calling his name. Zane was walking towards him as he spoke, a gentle tone present in his voice. "Why are you out here so late? We need to go to bed."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jay said dismissively. "But it's such a nice night out, don't you think? I thought maybe we could do some stargazing."

Zane sat down on the blanket beside Jay, his blue-grey eyes still showing some mild confusion. "But won't Sensei be mad if we wake up late for training? Cole and Kai would not appreciate us holding them back, either."

"Oh, don't worry about that," he replied, lying down on his side to look at Zane. He made the motion for him to do the same, and he pointed up at the sky. "Instead, look."

Zane's gaze followed where his boyfriend was pointing, seeing nothing but the thousands of stars dotted across the sky. While he felt happy that Jay was so excited about it, he couldn't exactly understand why. Was it because there was more to the stars than Zane knew? Was Jay just excited to be with him?

"My mom and dad always let me stay up on clear nights like this when I was a kid," Jay explained, noticing the confused look on Zane's face. "I'd sit up on the piles of junk and just look at the stars until I fell asleep. They'd take me back inside, tuck me into bed, and I'd wake up in the morning thinking I teleported there or something." He shook his head, face reddening in embarrassment, rolling himself over to rest on his back. "It's kinda stupid, but it's a memory."

"I do not believe my father did such a thing," Zane said, looking through his own memories for anything that seemed similar to Jay's story. "I do not believe I went outside much. Once or twice, perhaps, but it wasn't for very long."

The redhead felt a small twinge of sadness upon hearing that, and he snuggled closer, giving Zane an encouraging smile. "Well, now you have the chance to make a memory like that! You know, with me."

Zane and Jay stared into each other's eyes for a long time, neither of them daring to break the silence just yet. Then, Zane combed his fingers through Jay's hair, stretching down to kiss him on the forehead. "I would not have it any other way."

They both turned their attention to the sky once more, Jay pointing out to Zane all the names of the constellations, and Zane responding with the same confusion.

"That one's Ursa Major, but most people call it the Big Dipper."

"Why is that?"

"Because it looks like a big spoon. See?" Jay took Zane's hand in his, getting him to point his index finger. He drew invisible lines that connected the stars to one another, letting go of Zane's hand only when the blond finally nodded in understanding.

As they continued to watch the stars, Zane felt rather fascinated by Jay's sudden interest and excitement when it came to stargazing. As he searched through his database for more info on stars, he found out they were, in fact, just far-away balls of gas, but he didn't say anything about it. He had a feeling the redhead knew about that fact, anyway.

"Oh, look!" Jay said, pointing at what looked like a white streak flashing across the sky momentarily. "It's a shooting star! When you see it, you're supposed to make a wish!" He shut his eyes, deep in thought, before opening them again.

"What did you wish for?" asked Zane.

Jay playfully elbowed him. "It won't come true if you tell someone!" he laughed.

The white ninja raised an eyebrow, then thought about what he would wish for. _I do not think there is anything I want,_ he decided. _I am already having a nice time with Jay. What else would I want?_

The night went on, and Zane could tell that Jay was beginning to get tired. He would yawn several times a minute, and he could see that he was struggling to even keep his eyes open. The blue ninja had rolled over on his side again, grinning drowsily up at his boyfriend. Zane moved the hand on Jay's head lower, tracing small circles into his back with his fingers. Jay sighed happily at the feeling, shutting his eyes.

"Perhaps we should get to bed now?" Zane suggested, shifting slightly. "It has gotten very late."

Jay pouted. "Fine. But carry me in."

Zane chuckled. "Of course." He stood up, then squatted down to pick him up, letting Jay's head rest against the left side of his chest.

"And one more thing," he murmured, starting to doze off. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" When Zane nodded, he smiled one more time before shutting his eyes completely, falling asleep to the soft whirring of Zane's power source.

Zane's gaze softened at the sight of Jay's content expression, bending his head to kiss him again, this time on the bridge of his nose. "Sleep well," Zane whispered, quietly enough so he wouldn't wake up.

Tiptoeing back into the shared bedroom, Zane put Jay down on the far side of the bed, lying down beside him and pulling the blanket up to their chins. He wrapped his arms around Jay's lithe form and rested his forehead against his. The last thing he thought about before drifting off to sleep was the shooting star, which only reminded him of the love he felt for Jay at that very moment.

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><p><strong>Yeah! First NinjaNinja pairing of this collection! I feel proud. It's definitely not going to be the last yaoi pairing, either XD**

**Thank you, PurplePandaPancakes for requesting this one! I hope you liked it :D**

**Stay tuned!**


	8. For Old Times' Sake (Garmadon x Misako)

**Requested by: DragonHeart1798, CIRB**

**Request: Garmadon/Misako**

**Warnings: None**

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><p>Garmadon and Misako watched from the front of their house as Lloyd left on the Golden Dragon. Even though it had been several months after the final battle, he was still being called from nearly every corner of Ninjago to accept an award of some sort, or to give a speech, or even just to be thanked for saving everyone.<p>

The couple found it hard to believe just how much everything had changed since the final battle. Sensei Wu was planning on taking over at Darkley's and turning it into his own academy, with the Ninja and Nya as its teachers, and Lloyd almost never had any time to see anyone. As for Misako and Garmadon, their relationship changed quite drastically, with Garmadon being reformed.

Misako felt a bit nervous when he was turned good again. After spending so much time with Wu, and thinking she was in love with him, then remembering her feelings for Garmadon, she had no idea how he would feel if she told him what happened while he was still evil. She eventually decided it was in the past, and there was no point in bringing it up.

"So, what will we do today?" Garmadon spoke up, turning to his wife. "Now that Lloyd has gone off to another ceremony, we have the whole day to ourselves."

She chuckled. "You've been saying that for a few days now." She led the way back into the house, shutting the door behind them. "Perhaps we can run a few errands we've been meaning to do? We still need to buy groceries, you've been wanting to start on that new monastery for the children in this town..."

"I was hoping we would have more time just for ourselves today," Garmadon sighed.

"Weren't you the one who once said, 'never put off to tomorrow what can be done today'? I believe that applies here."

He rolled his eyes, hugging Misako from behind. "So I was." He picked up the list laying on the counter in front of them, looking it over. On it were various names of food items. "It doesn't look like this will be too hard, but it almost sounds like we're planning a feast!"

"Well, of course," she replied, taking the list from his grasp. "Lloyd told me he'll be home earlier tonight than he usually is. I thought it would be as good a time as any to hold a special dinner, just for the three of us."

Garmadon smiled, taking her hand in his and leading the way out the door once more. "Then let's not waste any time."

The couple walked down the path leading to the nearby village in a comfortable silence, occasionally glancing at each other with loving eyes. Misako was relieved that, now that the venom of the Great Devourer was no longer controlling him, Garmadon's eyes returned to a warm brown hue that Wu said they once were. Even so, she'd gotten so used to seeing him with red eyes that seeing him like this almost felt unnatural. She figured if she just gave it time, she would familiarize herself with his new appearance.

Garmadon, on the other hand, felt almost uneasy with the fact that his thoughts were no longer plagued by darkness or seething with hatred. He was in control of his mind at last, but his mind felt too empty, too barren, too blank. He needed to have something to think about, something to fill his mind with, something to help him escape the unending emptiness. He looked at Misako again.

The instant he did so, the emptiness faded. Images and memories of his beloved wife filled the empty space. From when they first met, to when they first decided to be together, to when they first had Lloyd, and to when Garmadon fell into the Underworld.

The memories continued. From when he saw Misako again on the Dark Island, to when she, Wu, and Lloyd confronted him at the beach on the far side of the island, to when he emerged from the rubble after being defeated by his son. Each memory was precious, and he made certain to hold on to each one.

In each memory, he took a note of what Misako looked like. From her kind eyes, to the way her smiles appeared to be lopsided, and to the soft, soothing sound of her voice.

"Garmadon?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts by said voice. "Y-yes?" he stammered, still a bit disoriented from being broken away from his memories so quickly. Looking around, he saw he was so deep into thought that he didn't realize they already made it to the village, and were now in the marketplace.

"I was just wondering if you wanted me to get that special tea you always liked," she replied. "It looks like there's a sale on it."

"Yes, that would be great," Garmadon answered.

It took them two hours to find everything written on the list, and several more to prepare for the dinner Misako planned for them and Lloyd. Garmadon did his best to help Misako with preparations, before he was shooed away, being told that he should just rest until Lloyd arrived. Though he was reluctant to comply, he did so, reclining himself in the armchair in their living room.

He slowly shut his eyes, which had been staring up at the ceiling previously, and thought about Misako again. Even while he was evil, he still thought about her, but this time was different. No darkness shoved the thoughts away. No hatred towards her or anyone caused him any pain. Instead, he felt nothing but a warm glow whenever he thought about their past experiences together.

When he thought about these experiences, of sitting at the peaks of mountains together, of talking together, of training together, he couldn't help but long for the joy those moments brought him. He wanted desperately to recreate those moments.

A skinny, yet muscular, pair of arms wrapping around his neck brought him out of his thoughts once more. He jumped off the chair, spinning around only to see Lloyd, still dressed in his golden gi, grinning widely at him.

"Hey, dad!" he said. "So, mom said we're having a special celebratory dinner together?"

"Yes," replied Garmadon, ruffling his son's hair. "We couldn't be more proud of your accomplishments, Lloyd. It's in your honour."

The blond grinned, the same childish grin Garmadon had remembered for years, and ran over to the table, sliding into a chair at one end just as Misako put down a plate carrying large hunk of steaming roast beef onto the tabletop.

Misako and Garmadon took their seats beside each other, along the side of the table, starting to dish out the food.

"Everything looks delicious as always, Misako," Garmadon complimented as he filled up his wine glass, then poured some of the alcoholic beverage into her glass.

She smiled proudly, then lifted her glass. "To Lloyd, our son, for everything he has done for Ninjago!"

"And to the greatest parents I could ever ask for," Lloyd added, clinking his glass with those of his parents, taking a sip of the water in his own before eating.

The family ate in silence, with the exception of the clinking of utensils against plates, Lloyd occasionally pausing in his eating to talk about what he did that day. Misako and Garmadon listened intently, since they likely wouldn't get another chance anytime soon to hear his stories.

"You know," said Garmadon suddenly, causing Misako to look up from her plate, Lloyd being too distracted wolfing down his own food to pay any attention. "We haven't had much time to spend together, just the two of us."

"We had today."

"Yes, but I mean to bond. Like we used to before I was sent to the Underworld."

Misako raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"Would you..." He searched for a location she would like. "Would you like to come with me to the peaks of the mountains we visited when we were young? Just for old times' sake?"

The grey-haired woman was thoughtful for a moment, giving him the impression she would say no. But she then gripped his hand gently, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, smiling wistfully all the while.

"I would love that."

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><p><strong>Thank you, DragonHeart1798 and CIRB for requesting! This is such a cute pairing :D<strong>

**Stay tuned!**


	9. Moving On (Kai x Jay)

**Requested by: corpselover1426, Guest**

**Request: Kai/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>The pale light of dawn filtered in through the bedroom window, and Kai had to squint to be able to see properly through the brightness. He felt around his bed for his red hoodie, pulling it on and zipping it up when he found it. He sat on the end of his bed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling as he wondered what he was going to do that day.<p>

_Maybe I could train,_ he thought. _Then again, there isn't much to train for... Maybe I could catch up with Zane? Wait, I did that yesterday... _He looked at the door, hoping someone would come through to invite him somewhere, or who would at least give him an idea. It usually happened on days where he had nothing to do.

At that moment, Jay burst in, slamming the door behind him and flopping onto Kai's unmade bed, pressing his face against the blankets. Kai raised an eyebrow, staring at him with a bit of frustration that he didn't knock first. He didn't understand what Jay was doing or why he was...crying?

"Jay?" he asked, putting his hand on the blue ninja's trembling shoulder and shaking him lightly. "What's wrong?" He didn't answer. Kai got up from the end of the bed, only to go around and lie beside Jay, turning his head to face him. "Come on, Jay," he coaxed. "What happened?"

Jay looked up, his freckled face blotchy and streaked with salty tears. "I don't wanna talk about it," he sniffed.

"Then why did you come in here?"

"Isn't this my room?"

"Not even close."

"Oh." Jay shrugged, turning his head again. "I guess that's just another thing I keep screwing up. What are the odds, huh?"

Kai narrowed his eyes, flipping Jay over so the crying redhead was facing him. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. "Can't you tell me what happened?"

Jay looked away momentarily, as though contemplating whether he should tell him or not. He took a shaky breath and wiped his eyes before he spoke again. "Y-you know that Love Tester thing Nya used a while back? And how she had to choose between me or Cole?"

"Yeah?"

"Well...she chose. And it wasn't me." He paused, another set of sobs wracking his lithe body. "I just... What did I do, Kai? What did I do wrong? Why didn't she choose me? Was I really that bad of a boyfriend to her?" He hid his eyes behind his arms, letting the tears stain his sleeves. "Did she ever love me...?"

The brunet couldn't help but feel bad for Jay, but felt that something had to be said about the situation, something he noticed for a long time since they first found out about the Love Tester. "Jay... I know you're upset that Nya didn't choose you. But this was her choice, not yours."

"I know, but-"

"And I know you're looking for some kind of comfort right now," Kai continued insistently. "But I really can't give it to you because you and Cole have been putting a lot of stress on her to choose, and that's really unfair to her."

Neither spoke for a while after that, and Kai watched Jay's face as realization sunk in, the redhead's eyes widening in shock and disbelief with himself. Jay let out another loud sob, shoving his face against the covers of the bed again.

"No wonder she hates me!" he cried. "I'm so stupid! I'm such an idiot! No wonder she chose Cole over me!"

"Hey, come on, now," soothed Kai, awkwardly wrapping his arms around Jay and lifting him into his lap, sitting up in the process. "Jay, don't blame yourself. I mean, I know you didn't treat her that great when you found out about the Love Tester thing, but like I said, this was her choice. Maybe she felt she needed to move on." He settled himself on the bed, holding Jay in what looked like a cradling position. "And maybe it's time for you to do the same."

Jay looked up at Kai's face, who was smiling down at him. He hadn't realized until now, but Jay liked it when Kai smiled. Not like his signature smirk, but a real, genuine smile. It was always warm, welcoming, and it seemed to make his worries melt away. Jay felt an unusual calmness settle in him, and he shut his eyes, leaning his head on Kai's shoulder.

"And, you know..." said Kai, getting the blue ninja's attention again. "I wouldn't mind it if we decided to...date, or something."

All Jay could do at that point was smile back at him. He realized that it wouldn't be too bad of an idea to date Kai instead of Nya. Was it because they were related? The siblings didn't have too much in common, but he did notice similar features between them, the smirking being one thing, their thin eyes being another.

"Then I guess in that case...I'll definitely move on from Nya," he murmured. "I mean, just as long as you don't find it awkward that I'm basically dating my ex-girlfriend's brother, 'cause I totally understand it if you do."

Kai shrugged. "It happens."

"Besides, I always did kinda like you," Jay admitted, blushing and looking away. "In fact, that's why I came in here, I knew this wasn't my room and I wanted to tell you how I felt and...stuff."

"Then in that case, I'm happy it was me you visited, because I think I've liked you from the start, too." The smirk returned. "So I hope you don't mind if I do this..."

He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Jay's, in an attempt to show that they were now dating. He felt a bit surprised with how Jay responded, by tugging on the front of Kai's hoodie to bring him closer and to deepen the kiss. Their mouths moved in sync with each other, Kai giving a surprised gasp when Jay bit his bottom lip to get his mouth to open. Feeling a bit hesitant, Kai obeyed, moaning into the kiss as Jay's tongue dipped into his mouth. Jay blushed upon hearing Kai's sounds, and threaded his fingers through his spiky hair to make the moment more intimate.

The kiss abruptly ended when Kai pushed Jay away gently, his face bright red. "Okay, we might be dating now, but...how about we slow down just a little bit?" he panted, giving an amused smirk.

Jay laughed in embarrassment. "Right, sorry. Just got a little carried away."

Kai shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We just have to take it slow for now. We haven't even been on our first date yet."

"Well, how about we go somewhere tonight?" he suggested. "I heard about this nice restaurant not too far from here. We can go there."

Kai smiled again, happy that he found himself loving Jay, and that he finally had something interesting to do that day. "I think that sounds great," he said, hugging his boyfriend close.

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><p><strong>Eh, awkward ending is awkward. <strong>

**Thank you to corpselover1426 and Guest who requested this pairing! I hope it was okay, and the ending wasn't too awkward .**

**Stay tuned!**


	10. Mutual Crush (Cole x Kai)

**Requested by: IceFreak101, corpselover1426**

**Request: Cole/Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Cole remembered the odd feeling he got when Kai nuzzled his side yesterday after winning the talent competition. Onstage, no less. It was such an odd feeling of both embarrassment, and a strange urge to return the unexpected affection from the red ninja. He remembered how furiously he blushed beneath his hood when it happened. He wondered if anyone noticed it. Did Jay and Zane see it?<p>

_Probably_, Cole thought. _Really hope they didn't, though..._ He'd had a crush on Kai for a while now, and the hug - no, the _cuddle_ - Kai gave to him had made his thoughts about the brunet much more...intense.

He shook his head, feeling another thought about Kai coming quickly, and picked up his scythe again. He spun the weapon easily in his hands, swinging it down to cause a tremor, weak enough so not to disturb the others in the Bounty.

"Hey!" a voice called, making Cole freeze. He turned, gulping when he saw it was Kai, a cheeky smile upon his face. "I heard you were training out here. Mind if I join? Who knows, maybe it'll help me find _my_ True Potential."

The black ninja smirked. "And then you'll become the Green Ninja, I'm guessing?" he joked. "Fine, but don't worry; I'll try to go easy on you."

Kai glared at him, but Cole saw a playful gleam in his eyes. "I'll show you how well I can fight!" He unsheathed his sword, twirling it before pointing the tip at Cole's chin. "Come at me!"

"Gladly!"

He brought his scythe up to throw Kai's sword out of the way, before kicking the red ninja in the stomach. Kai winced, but recovered quickly and brought his sword down again, letting loose a fireball. Cole jumped out of the way, blocking another blow from Kai's sword with his scythe.

"I gotta admit," Cole panted while shoving Kai away. "You're still pretty strong, even if you haven't gotten your True Potential yet."

"Well, what can I say..." Kai gave his sword a sharp thrust forward, knocking Cole backwards and causing him to drop his scythe. "...you shouldn't play with fire!" He threw his own sword aside and sprang at Cole, tackling him just as he was about to stand up. He held him down on his stomach, feeling Cole go limp before he reared and flung Kai off, sending him skidding across the deck.

Kai brought his hands up to block a punch, then swung his leg out to trip Cole. The black-haired teen landed with a thud, and Kai chuckled triumphantly. Just as the brunet thought he had won, Cole immediately sprang back up, grabbed Kai's shoulders, and forced him onto the ground, pinning him on his back.

"I win," Cole said, not budging even as Kai struggled against his hold.

Kai gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine, but don't think we're done yet. Once I reach my True Potential, and become the destined Green Ninja, we'll have another rematch, and then we'll see who's laughing!"

"Oh, I think it'll still be me laughing," he replied with a grin. He didn't move from off of Kai, getting distracted by his dark brown eyes, realizing now just how warm of a brown they really were. It was such a comforting shade, and he felt like he could stare into his eyes forever.

Kai, on the other hand, felt a bit disturbed by how intently Cole was looking at him. Not only that, but the position they were currently in did not help matters; Cole had his arms pinned above his head, while he straddled his hips. He had to admit, though he had a bit of a crush on Cole, and though he hugged him yesterday, he certainly did not feel comfortable being like this.

"Uh, are you gonna move, or...?" Kai trailed off, a heavy blush spreading across his face. Cole raised a bushy eyebrow and looked down at where he was seated.

"Oh! Right, sorry." He quickly got up, taking Kai's hand in his to help him up off the ground. He looked away in slight embarrassment as Kai gave an awkward-sounding cough.

"So, uh, thanks for letting me train with you today," Kai finally said, going over to pick up his sword.

Cole nodded briskly, picking up his scythe. "Yeah, no problem." He watched as Kai turned to leave and, after a moment's hesitation, called, "Wait! I want to talk to you about something first."

The shorter ninja came back, stopping to stand half a foot away from him and raising a scarred eyebrow in confusion. "Yeah?"

Cole took a deep breath before speaking, hoping everything he wanted to say would come out right. "So, yesterday... When all of us danced together and won the competition... You hugged me. And it wasn't just in a, 'you're my friend' way, either. It was more in like a, 'we should totally hook up' kinda way. Why was that?"

"Oh, that? That, um... I was just caught in the moment, you know? I was just really glad that we won and everything, so I just did...that." The brunet fought for the right words that wouldn't hint at his true feelings for the earth ninja. But one look at Cole's face told him he didn't buy it. He felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach.

"Kai, if you like me in that way, you can come out and say it," he said calmly. Cole's heart was beating a mile a minute, hoping that he wasn't just misinterpreting Kai's behaviour for an inability to tell him how he felt.

"You won't be mad? Or weirded out?"

Hearing Kai say that made relief wash over him, and his thudding heart slowed down considerably. He smiled and shook his head. "No. Because I...I think I like you, too."

Kai came closer, a nervous smile growing on his face. "Really?"

Cole reached out to hold Kai against him, mirroring the brunet's shaky grin. "Yep." To confirm his feelings, he kissed Kai's forehead gently, feeling his own face grow hot from the contact.

Kai rested his head against Cole's broad chest, nuzzling him again just as he did the day before. "That's... That's the best news I've heard all day. I never knew if you liked me back, so I just kept it all in and now..." He didn't speak after that. Instead, Kai brought his arms up around Cole's neck to return the hug, smiling all the while.

Cole didn't remember the last time he felt so happy, except perhaps when he finally gained his father's respect the previous day. He tightened his hold on Kai, happy that his secret crush wasn't a secret anymore.

They didn't separate for another five minutes.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, Lavashipping. You don't see much of it anymore. Pity.<strong>

**Okay, now I know that episode 35 has been leaked, and it looks like Kai/Skylor (or Skylar, I'm almost certain it's with an 'O', though) is going to be canon. But I still won't be accepting any requests relating to the newer characters, since we know very little about them.**

**As for requests themselves, don't worry if I don't get to yours right away. I'm taking on at least 13 of them at the moment, and they will be posted as soon as they're finished. Bear with me please :)**

**Thanks to IceFreak101 and corpselover1426 for the request! Stay tuned!**


	11. It's The Rules (Lloyd x PIXAL)

**Requested by: Guest, LucyBrick123, ForeverDreamer12**

**Request: Lloyd/PIXAL**

**Warnings: Very slight yaoi**

* * *

><p>Lloyd hung one last ornament on the enormous pine tree that Cyrus Borg brought in for the Christmas party they would be throwing that evening. He stood back to admire his work, turning on the string of lights hanging on the branches and smiling at the bright colours. He looked around at everything else he had done. Aside from hanging lights around the windows, he decorated the main floor of Borg Industries with varying colours of tinsel, set the lights to a gentle, alternating red and green, and, at Cole and Jay's request, hung mistletoe under nearly every doorway.<p>

_I bet this'll get everyone into the Christmas spirit_, he thought proudly, heading over to the doors.

He poked his head out of the automatic doors to see the Ninja, Nya, Sensei Wu, Cyrus, and PIXAL standing outside, huddled together to protect themselves from the cold winter wind. He beamed at them. "You can all come in now."

He lead everyone in, feeling a rush of happiness when he heard everyone's gasps of surprise. They wandered over to every corner of the enormous room, checking out the decorations and admiring Lloyd's work.

"And you did all this by yourself?" Cole asked. "I'm pretty impressed, kid! I didn't think you were up for it!"

Lloyd shrugged, giving his voice a modest tone when he spoke, "Well, it wasn't easy. You have no idea how hard it was trying to hang the lights." He cringed at the memory of him getting tangled up in the lights after trying to hang them using his Spinjitzu, thinking it would be more efficient.

PIXAL's green eyes were wide, taking in every aspect of her surroundings. "I don't understand," she murmured. "What are all these decorations here for? Is there a celebration of some sort?"

Zane appeared at her side. "In a way, yes," he replied. "It will be Christmas soon. Around this time, people celebrate by exchanging gifts and spending time with the ones they love."

Jay snorted and turned to Cole. "Well, in that case, it looks like you'll have to leave. No one here likes you." He grinned when Cole glared fiercely at him.

"Anyways, Lloyd had the idea to throw a Christmas party for us all this year," Zane continued. "He believed it was the best way for us to spend time together, so Cyrus let him use the main floor for the location of the party."

Lloyd smiled excitedly, taking one of PIXAL's metal hands in his. "See, come look at this." Zane let her go with Lloyd as he showed her around, pointing out the importance of each decoration. "We put presents under here," he explained, gesturing to the Christmas tree. "And the lights just make everything more festive."

PIXAL took note of the red and green colouring of the main floor. "But what about the red and green?" she asked. "What importance do these colours have for this holiday?"

"Uh..." Lloyd bit his lip in thought, not completely understanding why red and green were associated with Christmas, either. "Well, you know...they're..." He shook his head. "I don't really know, actually. I think it has something to do with the religion associated with it, or the plants people have for it around this time of year... I'm not sure."

"Is it a tradition to have red and green as the main colours?"

"Pretty much." He led her to one of the doorways, pointing up. "And that," he said, referring to the bundle hanging from ceiling, "is mistletoe. When you meet someone under it, you have to kiss them." He looked over at the bundle Cole and Jay were standing under. "Like that."

The pair both raised an eyebrow and looked up, instantly leaping away from each other. "Oh, I am _not_ kissing you!" Cole yelled.

"Yeah, well at least we agree on something!" Jay retorted. "I would rather have a truck run over my own tongue than have my mouth come within two feet of yours!"

Kai snickered from beside Nya. "Too late, it's the rules," he said, smirking. "You two have to kiss. Gender and how you actually feel about each other doesn't matter."

Cole and Jay turned to glare at each other and leaned closer. In about a fraction of a second, they darted in, pecked each other on the lips, and leapt away just as quickly. Cole wiped at his lips in disgust, while Jay spluttered.

"Kai, I need you to burn my lips off," the redhead hissed. "Like, now."

PIXAL frowned and looked up, noticing the mistletoe hanging between her and Lloyd. "If the rules of the mistletoe state that those who meet beneath it must kiss, then that means we must kiss, correct?" she asked.

"Wait, what do you-" He realized where they now stood. "Oh, right. Well, I don't know. Maybe...?" He looked over at Zane, who was too busy admiring the decorations to notice him and PIXAL beneath the mistletoe. "Yeah. But quickly. I don't want Zane to see."

"Why? Would he be angry?"

"I don't know, maybe. Mistletoe has a way of making a lot of couples have...conflicts."

He took a deep breath and looked up at the android, realizing now just how tall she really was. PIXAL took note of this, bending down just enough so all Lloyd had to do was stretch up on the tips of his toes. Lloyd touched his lips gently to her cold ones, keeping an eye on Zane the entire time. He felt a bit surprised when PIXAL started to kiss back, and he began blushing slightly. He broke away abruptly when it looked like Zane was turning toward them.

"Is that all?" PIXAL asked. "Nothing more?"

"Uh, yeah," Lloyd replied, feeling a bit nervous now that he saw the suspicious look in Zane's eyes. "But let's not bring this up in front of Zane, okay? I don't want to get beaten up by him for Christmas."

She smiled. "Oh, I'm sure he would not do something like that. But if it makes you feel better, then I promise I will not talk about it with him."

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><p><strong>Time to get excited for Christmas! *throws tinsel in everyone's face*<strong>

**Thank you to Guest, LucyBrick123 and ForeverDreamer12 for requesting this pairing! Never realized how popular it was. Huh.**

**Stay tuned!**


	12. First Christmas (Kai x Lloyd)

**Requested by: NinjaMelissa, lovestarr**

**Request: Kai/Lloyd**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>Kai awoke to the feeling of something tickling his nose. He slowly opened his eyelids, seeing Lloyd curled up in his arms against his chest, his blond hair being what woke him up. He grinned, giving the top of his boyfriend's head a long kiss, before moving down and giving Lloyd another kiss on the cheek.<p>

"Good morning," he murmured against his soft skin, causing Lloyd to stir. "And Merry Christmas."

Ruby red eyes opened to stare at Kai in tired disbelief. "It's Christmas already?" he asked sleepily, giving a big yawn. "It feels like it was only just yesterday that we were celebrating Halloween." He sat up in the bed, stretching out his arms and back. "You think the others are up yet?"

Kai looked over at the clock on the bedside table. It read 7:38. "Maybe. We can go check." He pushed the blankets to the end of the bed, dangling his legs over the side as he, too, stretched his limbs out.

"Carry me."

The brunet turned and raised an eyebrow at Lloyd, who looked at him with a cheeky grin. "Come again?" Kai asked, more amused than confused.

"I'm too tired to walk," he explained. "I want you to carry me out." Just as Kai was about to protest, Lloyd flopped back down on the bed dramatically. "I guess I'll just have to die in this cold room without you."

Kai shook his head, finding it odd that the Green Ninja himself was feeling too lazy to walk out of their bedroom into the living room, which was literally the next room out, on his own. He got up and walked over to Lloyd's side of the bed and picked him up, cradling him in his arms.

"You are such a lazy boyfriend," he grumbled, keeping a playful tone in his voice.

"Maybe, but I'm _your_ lazy boyfriend," Lloyd protested. He leaned his head in to kiss Kai's collarbone beneath the fabric of his pyjamas. "And I don't think you could've chosen better."

He rolled his eyes, nudging the bedroom door open and entering the living room. Looking around, he didn't see anyone, but he definitely heard someone singing quietly to themselves in the small kitchen. Kai tiptoed quietly to the counter, leaning in to see who it was.

Zane suddenly popped his head up from below, smiling when he saw Lloyd curled up in Kai's arms. "Merry Christmas to you both," he greeted. "I was making preparations for breakfast this morning. Is there anything special you would like?"

"Anything you make is great, Zane," said Lloyd. "As long as you don't make anything that tastes like Cole's cooking, I think we'll be just fine."

"Of course." Zane looked up at the clock on the wall. "The others will be up soon. Until then, you will have to wait a while."

Kai carried Lloyd to the couch and sat down, letting the blond's head rest on his lap. He brought his hand up to gently comb his fingers through the blond locks, listening as Lloyd hummed his approval. "So, are you excited to see what I got you for Christmas?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lloyd murmured. "But this year Christmas just feels weird, you know? Like I said before, it doesn't even feel like Christmas. Also..." He trailed off, a thoughtful frown upon his face.

"What?"

"It's the first Christmas where my dad isn't evil," he said. "Every year before now I was so used to not being with my family, not having a gift to give anyone, not having anyone giving me a gift... Now that it's actually happening, I just don't know how to feel."

Kai's eyebrows knitted together in disbelief. "You've never spent Christmas with anyone?" Even though he had been in the same situation when his parents passed away, Kai still had Nya to celebrate Christmas with, and didn't exactly know how to react to what Lloyd just said.

"Well, I guess maybe when I was really little," Lloyd admitted. "With my mom, I mean. But I can't remember much about it. I don't even remember if my dad was ever there. I guess I can understand it if he wasn't; he wouldn't want to go into one of his sudden evil breakdowns."

"Evil breakdowns?" Kai was only becoming more confused by the minute.

"I don't understand it either, but he apparently just got really unstable sometimes, and had to leave my mom for a while. She says that when it happened it always made her feel kinda sorry for him." He shrugged. "But, yeah... This is the first time I'm spending Christmas with my family."

Kai stopped stroking Lloyd's hair for a moment. "Wow... I never knew. I'm really sorry about that, Lloyd."

"It's fine," he assured. "I mean, I have you guys now, my dad's good again, and back with my mom, and...I have you." He took the hand stroking his hair into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be fine. In fact, I don't think I could be any better."

"If you say so." Kai got up from the couch and went over to the Christmas tree, bending down to pick up one of the presents and bringing it over to Lloyd. "I got this for you."

Lloyd sat up and smiled at him. "You didn't have to get me anything, you know."

"Yeah I did, don't deny it." He put the gift in Lloyd's lap, looking at him eagerly. "Open it up."

Lloyd nodded, tugging on the bright red bow, and looked at the label. "To Lloyd, Love Kai", it read. Simple and probably the default option for the label, but it still made him happy to see it. He ripped the wrapping paper to find a small leather book inside.

"It's a photo album," Kai said, looking away as he blushed. "I know it isn't much, but..."

Lloyd opened it to see the pictures inside. The very first one was of him and Kai, the latter having his arms wrapped tightly around the former, loving smiles on both of their faces. Lloyd flipped through the photos, getting a bit teary-eyed when he saw the pictures of them together, whether they were with the team or just the two of them on their own.

"I love it," he said, feeling his throat tighten with emotion. He put it off to the side and flung his arms around Kai's neck. "Thank you so much, Kai."

Kai returned the hug, giving Lloyd several kisses on the cheek. "You're welcome. Merry Christmas, Lloyd."

* * *

><p><strong>Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you all have an awesome day, whatever you celebrate!<strong>

**(Oh, and just for future reference, Skylor's name is in fact spelled with an 'O'. Please be sure this gets around. Thanks.)**

**Thank you to NinjaMelissa and lovestarr for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	13. Rewired (Jay x PIXAL)

**Requested by: DeliciouslyDangerous1**

**Request: Jay/PIXAL**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>Jay sat atop one of the several piles of junk, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. He sighed. He and the other Ninja had just driven off the Nindroids that invaded his parents' junkyard that day, and were now waiting for them to come back to tell them they would be safe for now. Although he was happy that everything ended up being fine in the end, even with the revelation that Sensei Wu was now evil, he still felt upset about Nya's possible feelings for Cole.<p>

_And she won't even tell me what wire she cut_, he thought sadly. _What if it_ was _black? What if she doesn't like me anymore? What if-_

"Jay!" His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Nya calling him from below. "I could use your help for a moment!"

"Coming!" He picked his way down the pile of junk, sprinting over to his parents' mobile home sitting at the base of another pile. He took a deep breath before entering, hoping this time Nya would tell him what wire she cut. Upon entering, his curiosity only grew when he saw PIXAL was also inside, seated in a chair with one of her chest panels open.

"So, you remember how Zane gave PIXAL half of his power source, right?" said Nya. "Well, I was just thinking that her system might react negatively to it sometime in the future, so I figured we could adjust some of the wiring so it'll be more compatible with the new power source."

"I have not felt any adverse side effects of having a new power source," PIXAL pointed out. "But I trust your judgment. Besides, my probability ratings state that there is indeed a likelihood of such negative effects, however small."

Nya grinned, then turned to Jay. "So, I was wondering if you'd like to help me out. There's probably lots of stuff lying around here that could make it easier for us."

Jay nodded, trying to remember what there was that they could use. "I think I remember seeing a few more wires outside on one of the junk piles near the entrance," he said. "I can come show you where they are if you like." He held up his poker face as best as he could, secretly hoping Nya would invite him along.

To his disappoint, she shook her head. "I think I'll be fine on my own. I'd like it if you could have a look at what I've done so far, just to be sure we're on the right track."

"Uh, okay! Sure! Good luck finding the wires!" He did his best to sound cheerful, but the corners of his mouth twitched downward slightly when he forced a smile.

"Thanks!"

Jay's smile faded as soon as Nya turned her back and left. He trudged over to PIXAL, putting on one of the pairs of safety goggles laying on the table beside her and got a closer look at the power source. Needless to say, the wiring was a mess, several of them no longer connected to anything. He tried to remember the last time he had messed with Zane's wiring, and got to work from there.

He worked in silence until PIXAL spoke up. "There is something troubling you," she stated. Jay looked up to see her bright green eyes staring back down at him intently.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," he said, dismissing her gaze and trying to focus on what he was doing again.

"Do not try to hide it, Jay. I know that there is something wrong. My sensors indicate that you are not normally like this."

Jay connected one of the wires to the mechanism holding in the power source before he looked up. "It's none of your business," he insisted. "Besides, I don't think you'd like what I have to say."

"Is it about me?"

His look of defiance fell away the instant she said that, immediately being replaced by a look of discomfort. He diverted his gaze to the floor, not speaking for a long time. When he realized PIXAL wasn't about to drop the subject, he looking up again and said, "In a way, yes."

He continued when she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "When you said that Nya's perfect match was Cole, it made really...really upset. Me and Nya have been together through so much, and I never thought I'd find another girl as perfect as she is."

"I see," PIXAL said thoughtfully. "When I said that Cole and Nya made a better match, it made you feel as if you were not good enough for her, correct?"

His blue eyes widened in surprise when she said that; he wasn't expecting her to understand how he was feeling. "Yeah, actually. And now that she might actually have feelings for him, a-and now that I don't know what she's gonna do next, I just..." He took a shaky breath. "I just feel so...useless, I guess. I don't know."

She watched as Jay lowered his head, lip quivering, and she slowly lifted her hand to stroke his hair, unsure of what else to do. "But as you said, you do not know who she will choose," PIXAL murmured. "So she could choose Cole...or she could choose you. You are still in a relationship with Nya, right?"

She felt Jay relax slightly, and he slowly lifted his head, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Y-yeah," he muttered in response.

"Does that not mean you still have a chance? Not only that, but wouldn't it be an even greater chance since your relationship has gone on longer than her relationship with Cole in general?"

He looked to the side and shrugged. "That makes sense. Maybe you're right." He looked back at what he was doing earlier, and plugged in one final wire before shutting the chest panel. "Well, you're good to go for now. We'll just wait for Nya to get back."

"Thank you for assisting in the rewiring, Jay," PIXAL said with a small smile. "If anything happens, I will be sure to contact you first."

"I..." He trailed off, and knelt down to wrap his arms around her in a gentle hug, leaving her a bit confused again. "I should be thanking you. I hope you're right about the whole thing with Nya." He pulled away, and saw PIXAL give a nod of acknowledgement.

"I'm back!"

Jay turned to see Nya coming in through the door, several wires in her clutch. "Sorry I took so long. I was looking through the junk pile for ones that weren't frayed or damaged." She looked over to see PIXAL's chest panel was closed. "Was everything okay?"

Jay nodded. "I made sure they were plugged into the right places, no biggie."

"Good! We'd better get to work on the rest of the wiring, before your parents return."

As the pair got down to work again, PIXAL watched Jay fiddle with various wires and switches in her chest panels, seeing how he would occasionally glance over at what Nya was doing, always smiling whenever she spoke. Seeing him this happy put her mind to work, and she thought about what she'd said to him before.

_Maybe I am wrong_, she thought. _Perhaps Cole and Nya_ are _a perfect match. And perhaps...Jay is my perfect match, just as Cole is Nya's._

* * *

><p><strong>... Please don't kill me for mentioning the possibility of Nycole being canon. I'm too cute for that.<strong>

**Still not taking any requests relating to the characters from the new season. (But I think I've decided that Karlof is my favourite of the new characters, next to Skylor :3)**

**Now, let's have a look at requests... *sees she still has several that were made back in November to do* ... *loud, ugly sobbing noises***

**Thank you to DeliciouslyDangerous1 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	14. Stuck With You (Cole x Jay)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123, Guestperson, BlackNBlue39, DivingHydra, corpselover1426**

**Request: Cole/Jay**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

* * *

><p>"Enjoy the rest of your night!" the hostess called as Cole and Jay exited the restaurant, both turning briefly to nod their thanks and joining hands. Jay pressed himself against Cole's side, smiling up at his boyfriend lovingly.<p>

Cole was thankful that Jay was more comfortable with showing affection in public now. The redhead had gone from not even wanting to look him in the eyes in public to outright kissing him in front of anyone. Sure, they often received strange, sometimes disgusted, looks from strangers when they did this, but neither of them cared. As long as they were happy, nothing else and no one else mattered to them.

Cole led Jay to the elevator going down to the main floor of the mall, letting him walk in first and pressing the button for the main floor. As the doors slid shut, Jay leaned up to kiss Cole on his cheek.

"Were you going for one of those 'kiss while the doors are closing' kind of things?" asked Cole with a smirk. "Seriously, you need to stop watching so many movies. They're full of nothing but cheesy stuff."

Jay shrugged. "Maybe." The couple waited in a comfortable silence as the elevator descended, looking over at each other occasionally. The elevator was normally slow, but at that point it was going so slow they wondered whether they would ever reach the main floor.

It soon creaked to a halt, but the doors didn't open. Jay raised an eyebrow and looked up at the blinking floor number. It looked like they were stuck between the second and main floors. He groaned in frustration and sank to the ground, folding his arms across his chest.

"This is just great. We were having such a good night, too," he grumbled. "But now the elevator's busted, and who knows how long it'll be before we move again!"

Cole sat down beside him, wrapping an arm around his slim shoulders. "Hey, come on, we'll be fine," he assured. "I'm sure the elevator will be up and running again soon." He smiled, bringing his head down so their cheeks were touching. "And when we get home, we can cuddle or something."

Even after all they had been through, with the whole love triangle issue with Nya, and going from tolerating each other, to hating each other, to somehow falling in love with each other, Cole and Jay found it in them to show nothing but love for each other when they were alone. Though they still fought often, they remembered how it nearly divided them completely in the past, and easily recognized their own mistakes and made amends.

But Jay wouldn't have any of it now. He shrank away from Cole, bringing his knees up to his chest. "Thanks, but right now I just wanna be left alone."

The black ninja withdrew his arm from Jay as the redhead continued to sulk. He wondered what it was that was bothering Jay so much. He only started showing these emotions now, and he wondered if there was anything that perhaps hinted at how he felt. He realized that Jay had been very affectionate for the entire night, which seemed a bit odd even considering his feelings towards showing such affection in public.

Cole decided that enough was enough and said, "Tell me what's wrong."

Jay lifted his head. "There's nothing wrong," he replied. "I'm just frustrated by the elevator being broken, that's all."

"Are you sure? Is there something else that's bothering you?"

"I'm very sure. There's nothing wrong, Cole." He continued to sulk for a few moments, but he could still feel his boyfriend's intense gaze on him. He sighed, and mumbled, "Maybe."

Cole beckoned him to come closer, and Jay scooted over to his side, hanging his head. Cole tilted his chin up so he was looking him in the eyes. "Tell me what's on your mind, Zaptrap."

Jay smiled at the old nickname before he spoke. "Like I said, I feel upset that the elevator's stopped, but we've been having such a good night so far, and I was hoping to get a lot of stuff done today! Like some more inventing, I wanted to cook something for you, I wanted to get a head start on some poetry I've had ideas for... But no, here we are, in a broken elevator!"

Cole nodded. "I understand. I mean, there's a lot of stuff I need to do, too." He looked off into the distance for a moment. "There's a lot of stuff we still have to talk about. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about, right?"

Jay's heart nearly stopped. He turned to stare at Cole incredulously. "We can talk about it now!" he said quickly, fighting down the joy threatening to burst from him at any moment.

Cole was taken aback by Jay's sudden shift in mood, but continued anyway. "Jay, we've been together for a while now, and I'm surprised I'm saying this, but I really love you. But I think we need a little change in our relationship. That's why I think we should-"

"Yes!" Jay threw his arms around him in a tight hug. "Yes, yes, yes! I think so, too! We'll have a great life together, Cole! I knew I wasn't the only one who felt this way!"

Cole frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Uh... Weren't you gonna propose just now?" When Cole shook his head slowly, he separated himself from him, a devastated look in his eyes. "If... If you weren't gonna propose, then what did you..." The look of devastation grew even more. "You're not saying we should break up, are you?"

"No! Of course not!" he insisted. "I was just gonna say we really need to talk about getting schedules for groceries and stuff. You're always going on your own; you never bring me with you. I want to at least be able to go out once."

"All you would get is cake."

Cole frowned. "You don't know that." He brought his hand up to his chin, thinking quietly for a moment. "But getting married doesn't sound like such a bad idea either... Of course I'd have to get a ring..."

Jay hugged him again, dotting Cole's face with numerous tiny kisses. "I don't care," he murmured. "I'll wait as long as I have to, just so I can be stuck with you for the rest of my life."

Cole smirked, pulling Jay into his lap, returning the kisses. "Like I said, we have got to get you to stop watching those cheesy movies of yours."

The couple didn't move from the floor, too caught up in their emotions to move anywhere else. In fact, they were so caught up in what they were doing that they didn't realize the elevator started to move again, and was soon on the main floor. The doors opened, revealing a couple and their child waiting to get on, their faces showing nothing but confusion at the sight of Cole and Jay cuddling.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, Bruiseshipping was requested by a lot of people. I love how popular it is :D<strong>

**Thanks to everyone who requested this pairing! Especially you, BlackNBlue39, for giving me the idea of a proposal oneshot :)**

**Stay tuned!**


	15. Understanding (Zane x Kai)

**Requested by: LucyBrick123, corpselover1426**

**Request: Zane x Kai**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Kai remembered when he first met Zane. He remembered how weird he thought the blond was, and how he made an effort to avoid him whenever he could. He remembered how unusual his sense of humour was, how he couldn't make a joke around Zane without him asking whether he was supposed to find it funny or not. Kai always found him to be matching his element of ice in this sense, believing him to be just as cold.<p>

But that was before that one day. It had been the morning after he found Zane sitting in the refrigerator, having eaten most of its contents, the morning he, Jay, and Cole told Sensei Wu about how strange Zane was. It was the morning Zane revealed to them he had no home, no parents, and was basically an orphan all his life.

Kai could understand him at that point. He realized most of Zane's cold behaviour was likely from being around others who had their family close to them. He wondered if Zane felt jealous because of this, if he desired what they all had.

Then, the following day, when the monastery burned down, Kai blamed it on Zane. He still felt guilty because of his actions, believing that, despite Zane saying he saw the bird and followed it, that it was because of what he said to him that caused him to leave.

Even now, as Kai lied in his new bed in their new home, dubbed the Destiny's Bounty, he felt the guilt eating away at him, threatening to devour him unless he did something about it. He quietly groaned and sat up, looking around at the others. They were all sound asleep. He climbed down from his bunk and tiptoed out of the room.

He wandered aimlessly through the halls, listening to the muffled snores of the others echoing off the walls. He soon found himself standing outside on the deck, and he walked over to lean on the railing, peering down at the desert below. Kai shivered, realizing it was a horrible idea to be outside this late, but he didn't know where else to go.

"Kai?"

He jumped at the sound of his name and whirled around, letting out a shaky sigh when he saw it was only Zane. "Hey."

"What are you doing awake at this hour?" the blond asked, coming over to stand beside him. "We have training early tomorrow morning, and Sensei will be most upset if you are unable to train at your best."

"I know, I just couldn't sleep," he muttered, resting his chin on the freezing railing, wincing as the cold hit met with his skin. "I have too much on my mind right now. I'll work it out, though. You don't have to worry about me."

Zane watched the brunet for a long while, noticing how his eyelids drooped, then blinked rapidly to stay awake, then drooped again. Not knowing what to do, he placed his hand gingerly on Kai's shoulder, rubbing it in a comforting manner. He felt Kai's shoulder twitch, but he didn't shrug Zane away.

"I would like to know what is wrong," he murmured. "I do not want you to lose any more sleep than you already have over this."

"I..." Kai searched for the right words. He didn't want to hurt Zane again, and he had to know exactly what it was he wanted to say. "I'm sorry, Zane. For earlier. When I said the monastery burning down was all your fault, I didn't mean... I didn't want to hurt you, I was just upset, and..."

Zane drew him closer. "I already said that I forgive you. I know that you did not mean to make me feel upset. It's all right."

"No, no it isn't," Kai protested. "I was horrible to you, and I can't be forgiven for that. Especially after you told me how you've never had a home, and you can't remember your parents, because..." He trailed off, letting Zane take in his words. "... I know how it feels. To feel like you don't have a family."

"But you have Nya," he reminded him. "Isn't she also your family?"

"Yeah, but I mean not having parents. Mine were...well, they were murdered. And Nya and I have been orphans ever since it happened. We took care of each other, but you..." He shook his head, hoping he wouldn't come off as too blunt. "You didn't have anyone like that, did you?"

The blond looked down, a sad look in his normally blank eyes, and shook his head. "I did not have a sibling figure, or a parental figure, like you did. I just had villagers who took me in and helped me."

"That's exactly it, though," Kai said. "You've had it much worse than I have, and you didn't deserve the things I said to you, or about you, or anything. But I want you to know that I'm here if you ever want to talk or something. So..." He sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Zane. I'm sorry for being so insensitive."

The rubbing on Kai's shoulder stopped, and he wondered if what he said offended Zane somehow. He felt the worry building up inside him again when Zane suddenly pulled him close, hugging him tightly. Kai's face was pressed up against the ice ninja's collarbone.

"Thank you, Kai," Zane whispered, his voice shaking slightly. "Perhaps our pasts are not exactly the same...but you understand me. Even if only by a small amount, you understand how I feel." Kai's face lit up in a heated blush when he felt Zane's lips connect to his forehead. "Thank you. And I forgive you. Please remember that."

Kai nodded, smiling shakily before he leaned into the hug, shutting his eyes. He wondered if Zane knew how significant kissing him was, but he brushed away the thought. He would've been happy enough even if he did know.

"Are you feeling better now?" asked Zane, pulling away.

Kai looked up, still smiling. "Definitely." It was as if the guilt eating his heart had been completely destroyed, leaving nothing but a sense of peace, and affection for Zane.

* * *

><p><strong>Oppositeshipping is very important. Don't forget that.<strong>

**Eh, I feel a bit iffy about this one, but I'm not sure why. Oh well.**

**Thank you to LucyBrick123 and corpselover1426 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	16. Stronger Than Most (Lou x Misako)

**Requested by: DeliciouslyDangerous1**

**Request: Lou/Misako**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>Misako looked down at the address written on the scroll again, looking around the small village for the third time for the house. She received a request from someone who asked for a scroll that described the theatrics and dance of Ninjago in ancient times. She found it rather strange, since she normally didn't deliver scrolls to anyone, as well as the fact that the client remained anonymous.<p>

She shrugged, and finally spotted an older-looking house with the address she was looking for on the door. She walked up and knocked on the door three times.

"Use the bell!" a man's voice called from inside.

Misako raised an eyebrow, looking to the side and spotting the doorbell. She nearly jumped back when she rang it, the voice singing "Welcome" startling her a bit.

The door opened not long after, and a middle-aged man stood in the doorway. His neatly groomed black hair and bushy eyebrows made her think she should know the man, but no specific name came to her. His brown eyes looked her up and down, and he grinned.

"Perfect timing! I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it!" he said.

Upon hearing his voice, Misako's eyes brightened. "Lou? Is that really you? I thought you seemed familiar, but I wasn't sure..."

"Wait, Misako?" Lou's smile went from polite to sincere. He stepped aside to let her in. "Come inside! It's been such a long time since we last spoke. Was it since you graduated high school? Heh, to think I was only a freshman back then. Anyway, come in!"

_He's just as kind as ever,_ she thought with a grin, walking inside and letting him close the door behind her. The subtle smell of lavender greeted her as she walked in, and she looked around at the pictures hanging on the walls. Several were newspaper clippings, all with headlines describing something called "The Royal Blacksmiths".

"Remember when I told you I wanted to be a performer?" Lou asked, coming up to walk beside her. "Well, I am proud to say that I've achieved that dream! Singing, dancing, acting... I've had the pleasure of doing it all."

"That's wonderful!" she replied. She took another look at the walls, seeing shelf after shelf of trophies covering one side. "You must be excellent at performing to have gotten all of these awards."

He smirked, brushing off his shoulder in mock sheepishness. "Well, I wouldn't say that..."

"Daddy?" A younger voice sounded from the room ahead. Misako looked in, turning her head from side to side. She eventually looked down to see a chubby boy, around four years old, staring up at her, flinching a little when they made eye contact. His black hair was much unlike his father's; it was overgrown and hanging in his face.

She looked over at Lou, who merely smiled and walked up to the boy, bending down to lift him up into his arms. "I guess I should've mentioned I have a son now," he said. "This is Cole. Son, this is Misako. You can say hello."

Cole's wide green eyes stared at Misako intently, a frown upon his lips. "H-hi," he muttered, before ducking his head and hiding his face in his father's shoulder. Misako smiled at his shy behaviour, coming forward to pat him gently on the head.

"He's adorable," she said. "But aside from his hair colour, he looks almost nothing like you."

"Yes, he gets his looks from his mother," Lou replied, leading her over to the couch, setting Cole between them. "But he'll definitely be getting his performance skills from his father. Isn't that right, son?"

There was the uncomfortable look in the child's eyes again. Cole shrugged before climbing off the couch, walking with shaky legs over to the set of building blocks in the middle of the room.

"He's not very social, is he?" asked Misako.

Lou sighed. "I'm still working on it. I'm hoping he'll come around eventually. It won't do him good if he's an antisocial performer, now will it?"

Misako noticed that Cole kept glancing behind him to stare at his father, the same nervous look in his eyes. She wondered if he even wanted to be like his father at all. Did he even enjoy listening to the conversation they were having about Lou's career?

In an attempt to change the subject, she asked, "So, where is your wife? Cole's mother? Is she here right now?"

For once, Lou was silent, and he looked down at his hands. "Ah... You see, that's the thing. I'm raising Cole on my own."

"On your own? Why? Was she unsuitable as a mother for him? Was she abusive?"

"Oh, no, no!" he assured her. "She was nothing of the sort! In fact, she would've made a great mother!" He looked away again, his gaze fixed on Cole, who was stretching up on tiny toes to put the last block on his tower. "When she gave birth to Cole...something went wrong. She wasn't... S-strong enough to make it through."

She winced, just now realizing it was a poor subject to switch to. "I'm sorry, Lou," she said. "I didn't mean to..."

"No, it's fine. I'm just worried what will happen when Cole gets older, and he asks about her." He cast his gaze over to Cole, who had knocked over his tower of blocks and had his tiny fists raised in the air in triumph.

Misako put a hand on his knee. "I'm sure Cole will be able to handle it. I don't know why, but it almost feels like he's...stronger than most children his age." She was mainly referring to Cole's willingness to put up with his father pushing him to be a performer, but she didn't expect Lou to realize it.

Lou smiled. "Perhaps his mother gave him some of her strength," he suggested. "She always was a capable woman." He looked at Misako with caring eyes. "Like you."

She smiled back at him, and handed him the scroll. "Here. I have to get going. My own husband with be worried if I'm back too late."

"Of course. It was good seeing you again, Misako!" Lou put the scroll aside and crouched down next to Cole. "Say goodbye to Misako," he told him.

Cole waved at her as she left. "Bye-bye," he said, returning to his demolished block tower. Misako waved back, turning the doorknob and exiting the house.

As she walked back to the monastery where Wu and Garmadon were, she looked up at the sky, remembering how Cole and Lou interacted with each other, feeling a bit envious of the obvious adoration Lou had for his son.

_I wonder if Garmadon and I will have a son one day._ She grinned, deciding that all she could do at that point was hope.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! The last one<strong>**shot for 2014! What a wild ride it's been!**

**Thank you, DeliciouslyDangerous1 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned! And Happy New Year!**


	17. On My Mind (Zane x Cole)

**Requested by: Gamer Katie, Howling Wolf Pup**

**Request: Zane/Cole**

**Warnings: Yaoi**

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><p>Cole and Jay watched from afar as their new teammate swung his sword awkwardly at the wooden dummy. The teen, named Zane, looked much older than them, at least eighteen. Cole and Jay, being younger than he was, were a bit nervous to speak to him at first. He seemed very distant, and his cold blue eyes never showed any kind of emotion. Sensei Wu told them he was just quiet, but Cole couldn't help but wonder if he even liked them.<p>

Jay was the first to try speaking to Zane, trying to make a joke about how quiet he was. "I mean, you don't have to be nervous to talk to us," he had said. "Does the cat have your tongue or something?"

Instead of laughing like Jay expected him to, Zane simply shook his head. "I do not have a feline in my mouth," he replied, not even showing signs of a smile. "And my tongue is where it has always been."

The redhead cleared his throat awkwardly. "No, that was a joke, Zane. I just wanted to know why you're so quiet, and why you won't talk to us."

"Then why did you not just say that?"

Jay groaned, throwing his hands up into the air. "You know what? We'll work on it, your sense of humour. We're gonna make sure you know what should be laughed at, okay?"

Zane merely shrugged, returning to his training. Jay frowned and walked back over to Cole, who had been watching the scene unfold before him. Just from observation Cole could tell that training with Zane was going to be difficult, especially if he continued to be as distant as he was.

"I dunno, Cole," whispered Jay, quiet enough so Zane wouldn't hear. "I don't know how I feel about this guy. He's too...weird." He held back a yelp when Cole elbowed him in the ribs.

"He probably just needs time to adjust," he said. "You remember what Sensei Wu said, right? He was training all by himself in a village, a really underpopulated one at that. It's no wonder he's like this." He looked back at the blond, still swinging the sword and missing the dummy each time. "Whether he'll be a good fighter is another matter..."

After another hour of watching Zane, and pretending to train when he looked at them, he walked up to them, hands behind his back. "What shall I make for dinner?"

Cole raised an eyebrow. "It's my turn to cook tonight-"

"Anything," Jay quickly interrupted. Knowing how terrible of a cook Cole was, he didn't want the new recruit to be turned away from them _that_ quickly. "Just make sure it tastes good. Please."

When Cole turned to glare at Jay, Zane bowed politely. "Then it will be ready when you come inside." The teen turned and retreated inside the monastery, leaving the pair to stare after him.

"Well, that was...weird," Cole admitted, a bit miffed that he wouldn't be cooking that night. _And I had a new recipe I was gonna try out, too..._ he thought.

About two hours later, Zane called them inside, and what they saw on the table surprised them the most. Four small steaks were laid out onto a large plate for them and Sensei Wu, with bowls of mashed potatoes and salad on the side. The smell of the food alone had Jay nearly drooling. The blond seated himself, looking at everyone with the same blank expression.

"You are all free to eat," he said, serving a steak for himself.

Cole looked down at his food, still displeased he wasn't able to cook for them tonight. _My stuff probably would've tasted better,_ he thought bitterly. He cut a small piece of the steak and lifted it to his mouth. _I bet this'll just taste like..._ When he bit down, his eyes went wide, his heart nearly stopping. _Like the food equivalent of heaven itself._

Jay had eaten some of the food at that point, and was nearly driven to tears by how delicious it was. "Zane, when I said to make it taste good, you didn't hold back! This is awesome!"

"It was just something I was taught by the villagers," he said calmly. "It is nothing to be overly excited about."

Watching Zane deny Jay and Sensei Wu's compliments made Cole feel a little jealous. He worked harder than anyone to make his food taste decent at best, and all Zane had to do was throw a few herbs onto a steak to make it taste fantastic, all while he denied his skill in cooking?

Cole had trouble sleeping that night, mostly because he was thinking about Zane. On one hand, he wanted to like him and he wanted to help him train properly, but on the other hand, he wondered if Zane even needed it. If he had such high skills in cooking, who was to say his actual fighting abilities were also better than Cole's?

He woke up earlier than he thought he would that morning, at around six-thirty. He turned his head to the side, seeing that Jay was still sound asleep. Looking over at Zane's bed, however, he saw the blond was gone.

Cole got up from his bed, tiptoeing out of the room so not to wake Jay, and began his search for Zane. He peered into every room he could; the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room. No Zane.

He soon had the idea to look outside at the training course, and, sure enough, there was Zane, dressed in the black ninja uniform Sensei Wu had given him, still swinging clumsily at the wooden dummy with the sword.

Fed up with Zane's way of fighting, Cole walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Widen your stance," he instructed.

Zane jumped, whirling around and nearly slashing Cole across the face with the sword. He soon relaxed, murmuring, "You startled me. Why are you out here?"

"I couldn't sleep," he answered flatly, turning Zane around and adjusting his shoulders into a correct form. "Now, like I said, widen your stance."

The blond nodded, spreading his legs just slightly. "Like this?"

"Yeah. Now fix your grip on the sword." As Zane fumbled with the handle, Cole looked over to the other weapons hanging on the racks along the wall. "Or maybe you could try a different weapon. You know, one that's not as big as a sword?" He picked the shurikens off the rack and handed them to Zane, taking the sword from him. "These'll probably be better for you. Jay and I never liked them, but..."

Zane looked over the shurikens in his hands, and he eyed the dummy carefully. He stepped back a few feet and lined up his target, gripping one shuriken tightly. He flicked his wrist, and in an instant the small weapon was embedded in the wooden neck, a few splinters breaking off.

"Huh. Not bad," said Cole, not sure how else to respond. It was clear to him now that having Zane train with a sword was pointless, seeing how well he performed with the shurikens.

Just as Cole turned away to head back inside and get another hour of sleep, a cold hand gripped his arm, causing him to look over his shoulder. Zane, though his eyes were emotionless as ever, was _smiling_. It was unlike any smile Cole had seen before. It seemed so genuine and honest that he couldn't look away even if he tried. He wasn't sure if he even _wanted_ to look away.

"Thank you for helping me, Cole," Zane said, the smile not faltering in the slightest. Just the way Zane said his name made Cole's heart beat faster. He smiled shakily back at the blond before he responded.

"No problem." Zane let go after a few short moments, and Cole added, "If you ever need help with anything else, I'm here, okay?"

"Of course."

Cole climbed back into his bed, looking over at the clock. It was almost seven o-clock. He figured he could get in at least forty-five more minutes of sleep. What he wasn't expecting was his thoughts to still be filled with Zane, and for _completely_ different reasons than before.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, once again, Happy New Year everyone! First oneshot of 2015! :D<strong>

**Thank you to Gamer Katie and Howling Wolf Pup for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	18. Not Your Fault (Nya x PIXAL)

**Requested by: Isla-Robin-295, Guest, LucyBrick123, DerpyDove**

**Request: Nya x PIXAL**

**Warnings: Yuri**

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><p>PIXAL sat in silence, watching as the city continued its daily activities. It had been two days since Zane's death - she hated to think about such a thing - and everyone was still weighed down with grief. She hadn't seen the other Ninja for a long time, guessing they were preparing for the memorial that would take place in a few days. Even Cyrus was making something for the memorial: an enormous statue of Zane to remember him by.<p>

But PIXAL didn't care. She didn't want any part in the preparations. She didn't want to remember him as being dead. She wanted _him_. She wanted to see him, to hear him, to know he was still with her.

_But that is impossible,_ she thought. _He is gone, no matter how much I try to deny it. Oh, Zane..._

She barely noticed when Nya approached the bench she was sitting on. The samurai didn't say anything, merely giving a polite nod and sitting down beside her. PIXAL was about to tell her she just wanted to be left alone, but something about her presence was oddly comforting.

Glancing over at her, she saw that Nya looked just as upset as she was. She was looking down at her hands, eyes blank, lips formed into a narrow line. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking about. It could have been Zane's death, or it could have been the ongoing issue with Cole and Jay.

She scooted closer to Nya, hoping she would take it as an offer of comfort. Nya looked up, gave a half-hearted smile, then looked back down again. PIXAL rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you also upset about Zane?" she asked.

Nya shrugged. "Yeah, and Jay hasn't spoken to me since it all happened. All because I hugged Cole." Her tone quickly changed to that of frustration. "I don't get it. I didn't even see Jay at that point, what did he get all mad at me for?"

On top of the sadness PIXAL already felt over Zane, she felt guilty, believing Nya wouldn't be in such a situation if it weren't for her saying Cole was Nya's perfect match, right in front of Jay. "I'm sorry. It is my fault that they are pressuring you to choose between them."

"No, PIXAL, it's not your fault at all," Nya assured, straightening up. "They would've found out at some point; it was only a matter of time. Don't blame yourself."

PIXAL sighed. "But it is true. And what happened to Zane... If I went with him, maybe none of this would have happened. Or if I convinced him to stay behind, then he would still be here..."

"No, no, PIXAL, none of this is your fault," she said, putting her hand on the one on her shoulder. "This was something Zane decided to do. This was something he felt he had to do to save everyone, okay? It's not your fault, it isn't anyone's fault."

Though she didn't believe what Nya said, she felt a little reassured, looking away from Nya's gaze. "But you still have Cole and Jay to deal with, don't you? I cannot be excused from my involvement with that."

"No, they're both just being idiots," Nya replied dryly. "They just can't see that I can care about both of them equally." She slumped on the bench again, groaning. "Guys are so overrated." She chuckled once. "I guess we're both having boy issues at the moment, huh?"

PIXAL tried to smile, but it faltered. She rested her head on Nya's shoulder, sighing. "What are we going to do now? We have to help in the preparations at some point so that no one starts to worry themselves over us."

"Let them. We're all grieving right now."

Nya had a point. Though the city and the streets continued to go about their daily routines, everything seemed to have slowed down, or even quieted completely. Even the birds were silent, as though they were having their own memorial. Zane's falcon never seemed to leave the area where he passed on, constantly circling in the sky above the area.

It was strange. Though no one knew Zane quite like Nya, the Ninja, and PIXAL did, they were grieving just as much. PIXAL figured that he must have been much more influential to them than she initially believed. On the other hand, it could just be from the weight his sacrifice had. If he didn't cause the Overlord's defeat, where would any of them be?

"You know, we don't get to talk much," said Nya suddenly, snapping PIXAL out of her thoughts. "There's been so much going on lately. We should do something together."

"I agree," PIXAL replied. "But I do not know what humans would do in these times. I have not left Borg Industries to do anything for my own pleasure, so I do not have any suggestions as to where we should go."

Nya stood up. "I say anywhere we won't find boys. I don't know about you, but I've had just about enough of them." She reached a hand out for PIXAL to take. "But we could go shopping or something. Just to take our minds off of...well, everything."

PIXAL gave a small smile, taking Nya's hand and letting her pull her off the bench, not letting go. "What would we shop for?"

"Well, I _do_ know this clothing store in the mall. I saw a dress there that I think would look really nice on you." She gave PIXAL's metallic hand a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry, PIXAL. Everything's gonna turn out fine, you'll see."

PIXAL nodded, returning the squeeze as Nya led her away and down the street, still holding hands. _Yes,_ she thought. _I must believe that. Everything will be okay._

* * *

><p><strong>You know, I was going to do this pairing after the previous oneshot anyway, since it was requested a while back, so you reviewers must be psychic. Wonder if you can guess the next pairing, too :3<strong>

**I dunno, maybe there will be more opportunities for yuri between Nya and PIXAL soon, or even with Skylor (that's still how her name is spelled, by the way. It's spelled incorrectly in the character listings here -_-).**

**Thank you to those who requested this pairing! Stay tuned!**


	19. Here For You (Garmadon x Misako)

**Requested by: CIRB**

**Request: Garmadon/Misako**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

><p>It had been about five months since Misako decided to stop travelling Ninjago to stay with Wu and Garmadon at the monastery. Though the brothers were very tense with each other due to the evil spreading through Garmadon's veins, she was enjoying her time with them very much. When she wasn't helping them out with housework, she would train with them, which included having them teach her Spinjitzu.<p>

However, in spending time with them, Misako came to feel something other than just a strong bond with them, something other than friendship. They treated her with nothing but respect, were strong and believed her to be the same, and they were, she had to admit, quite attractive. She felt so strongly about both of them that she started to wonder if they noticed.

_Hopefully they haven't,_ she thought to herself over and over again. _I wouldn't want something like this to split them apart even further._

That evening, she was helping Wu and Garmadon prepare dinner. The brothers had argued for about half an hour about what would be having that night, before they eventually made a compromise: fried rice with noodles, as well as steaks.

Everything was going fine, they had just begun setting the table, when Garmadon suddenly crouched at the edge of the table with a wince. He gripped the edge with one hand, his lips forming a tight line and his eyes squeezing shut.

Wu noticed this, putting the plate he was holding on the tabletop and hurrying to the brunet's side. "Garmadon? Just calm down, you'll be fine," he said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Garmadon's eyes opened slightly, and Misako could see his eyes flickering red wildly. "P-please, leave me," he hissed through clenched teeth. He dropped the plate he was holding, the pieces scattering around his feet.

Misako looked at Garmadon, then at Wu, then back at Garmadon. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, coming closer.

He sprang away from the table, his glaring eyes now a glowing shade of ruby. "No!" He raised his hands to his head, rubbing his temples as he backed away to the hallway leading to his bedroom. "Misako, Wu, please do not speak to me for the remainder of the night."

"Will you be wanting dinner at all?" Misako asked, still concerned for him.

"No. Goodnight to you both." He exited quickly, slamming the sliding door shut behind him.

Misako and Wu exchanged worried glances, before Wu shook his head sadly, returning to setting the table. She frowned. "You're not going to go after him? You aren't going to help?"

"There's nothing that can be done," he sighed. "Garmadon has been like this for years. He has to spend some time alone, to calm himself down." When she was about to protest, he put his hands gently on her shoulders. "He's had many of these evil breakdowns before, Misako. He knows how to handle this."

Misako stared into his eyes for a long moment, wondering whether she should listen to him or not. At this point, she realized that now was a good time to make her decision. She could either stay with Wu, or go to Garmadon. She reached her hands up to hold Wu's, giving both hands a gentle squeeze.

"Misako?" he whispered. "Please tell me you won't..."

She lifted his hands off her shoulders, giving him a small smile. "I'll be fine, Wu. Don't you worry." Her hands slid from his grip, and she turned down the hallway, heading towards Garmadon's room.

Misako didn't even have to look inside to tell he was having difficulty with this specific breakdown. She could hear the sounds of fists hitting walls and furniture from outside the door, and she could hear him talking to himself, each word laced with agony.

Gripping the handle, she took a deep breath, then slid the door open. She ducked just in time to avoid being struck in the head by a dagger. Her eyes widened at the sight of Garmadon, his brown hair tangled in his clenched fists, shaking and crouching all the while. One glimmering red eye opened to peer up at her.

"Garmadon," she said calmly. "It's okay."

"What did I tell you?" he snarled. "Leave!"

"Garmadon, please-"

"_Leave!_"

He lifted a book from his desk, flinging it at her with such a force that, when she ducked to avoid it, it stuck in the wall, shards of wood falling from where it hit. Misako got back up just in time to block a punch, swiftly moving out of the way of each of his attacks.

Misako soon grew tired of dodging and occasionally blocking so, when she found a chance when he wasn't attacking, she sprang forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close against her own body.

"Garmadon," she repeated. "You're okay. You just have to focus on calming down."

"Let go of me, Misako!"

"Just breathe."

His fingers dug into her back as he fought against her hold, but she held on, rubbing her hands up and down his back in a comforting manner. They stayed like this for a while, no exchange of words made, until Garmadon's breathing finally slowed, and he sighed.

"Are you okay?" she asked at last, pulling away to look him in the eyes. They had faded to a dull red now that he was calm. "Is there anything else I can do to help you?"

He stared at her sadly, then hung his head in shame. "Misako, I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you through all that. It was unfair to you, and I should have been able to control my emotions better, but it all just..."

"Don't worry," she murmured, smoothing back his brown locks. "I'm fine. And if you need anymore help in the future, I'm here. I'll help you stay calm when something like this happens again."

"But Misako... I can't let you get hurt. Not because of me. Please, I can handle this on my own, you don't have to-"

She silenced him with a kiss on the forehead. "I can't fix this. Not completely. But I can help you get through it." She tilted his head up so she was staring into his eyes. "We will find a way to get rid of the evil in your veins. Together."

Rather than saying anything in return, he just smiled sadly, trying to get himself to believe those words. Little did he know, Misako was wondering whether she believed what she said herself.

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><p><strong>*crawls out of grave made of schoolwork* I'M ALIVE! I've been preparing for exams and stuff, and I'm currently in the middle of them. Hopefully I can make it through. My English exam didn't go too well and I think my soul is dead after that experience .<strong>

**Anyway, how's that season four going, huh? Neuro's so wonderful, I really like Skylor so far, and it looks like the love triangle's dead :D**

**Anyway, thank you CIRB for requesting this pairing, and stay tuned!**


	20. Taste Test (Garmadon x Zane)

**Requested by: IceFreak101**

**Request: Garmadon/Zane**

**Warnings: Yaoi, hero x villain ship**

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><p>The warm scent of spices filled the small kitchen. Zane was moving back and forth between different pots on the stovetop, stirring and adding different ingredients to each. Though he moved quickly, he remained somewhat careful not to let a speck of the stew he was making splash on his frilly pink apron.<p>

Garmadon had just joined the Ninja in their search for Lloyd, and would be staying on the Bounty with them for the time being. Everyone was feeling less than supportive of letting the dark lord live with them, including Zane, but Sensei Wu made it perfectly clear he was to be treated with as much respect as any other guest.

At first Zane was reluctant to accept Garmadon as a "regular guest", but after watching his mannerisms and how he acted around the others, the white ninja found him to be somewhat fascinating. Sure, he was undoubtedly evil, but when he wasn't trying to kill them, he behaved like any other normal human being would. Well, minus the random bouts of evil laughter and usage of four arms, of course.

Zane was just adding another spice to the stew when he felt a hand suddenly grab his shoulder. Surprised by the contact, he whirled around, only to see Garmadon grinning at him.

"I heard you were making preparations for dinner," he said casually. "I came to see how you were faring."

"That is unusually thoughtful of you," the nindroid replied, returning to adding the spices. "But I am doing just fine. It should be ready in approximately four minutes and thirty-seven seconds."

"Well, then in that case, I should probably tell you that I won't be eating any of your food," Garmadon said. "Not because I think it will taste terrible, although that does add to the reason, but I have certain...dietary restrictions."

"Oh?" Zane turned his head again, raising an eyebrow. "And what are they? I would not want to be so inconsiderate as to give you something you are incapable of eating." It felt strange to say that, with it being directed at Garmadon, but he had to at least act polite.

Garmadon held out one of his hands, a metal container Zane didn't notice earlier in his grasp. He pulled the lid off, and Zane had to suppress a gasp as he saw it was nothing but a thick black sludge, with black maggot-like creatures writhing and squirming around here and there. The blond wrinkled his nose as Garmadon picked one of the creatures up and waved it around in front of his face, smirking.

"Condensed evil," Garmadon explained. He threw the creature up into the air, catching it in his mouth. Zane cringed at the squelching noise it made. "It's like a candy for someone as evil as I am." He picked up another, holding it out towards Zane. "Care for one?"

Zane shook his head quickly. "N-no, I am perfectly fine, thank you," he stammered, looking away as Garmadon ate it. "But thank you for notifying me of your dietary needs. I hope you enjoy your, er... Condensed evil, was it?" He went back to the stew, picking up the wooden spoon beside the pot and stirring it slowly.

Garmadon put the lid back on the container and watched as the nindroid cooked, noticing how eager he was to stop talking with him. He frowned at the thought. _So they still don't want to accept the fact that I'm here,_ he silently concluded. _Well, in that case, I'll just have to get them to show a little more respect._

He peered over Zane's shoulder at the stew he was making. While the scent may have been rather warm and enticing to anyone else, he found it to be somewhat repulsive. It could have been because of his being turned evil several years before, but at that moment it didn't matter. At that moment, he came up with an idea to get at least one of the ninja to accept the fact that he was staying with them.

Zane lifted the wooden spoon from the stew and brought it to his mouth, giving it a taste. He smiled and nodded to himself; it was just the right texture and flavour. He put the spoon in the sink, and was about to call the others down for dinner when he felt a hand touch his hip. The blond froze, turning his head to see Garmadon grinning at him again.

"What, you aren't going to let me have a taste test?" he asked. "How cold of you. And after I offered you some of my own food, too."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you had dietary restrictions, that you could not eat the food that I made."

"Yes, but wouldn't it be more polite to at least offer? I wouldn't want your teammates to dislike your cooking."

Zane couldn't find a way to reply. Instead, he shook his head. "Of course. Let me just find you another spoon and-" He was cut off as the hand on his hip spun him around. He was too surprised to stop Garmadon from pushing him against the counter and pressing their lips together forcefully.

He tried to shove Garmadon away, but his hands were brushed away as easily as if they were pesky flies. One pair of Garmadon's hands pinned Zane's against the counter, while the other pair held onto his sturdy shoulders. Zane hoped that Garmadon would separate soon, but he felt a wave of disgust wash over him as he felt Garmadon's tongue glide slowly over his cold lips, sometimes going over the same spot twice.

The kiss ended as soon as it began. Garmadon smirked as Zane stared at him, his silvery-blue eyes wide and questioning.

"I believe the stew is fine," he said. "I hope you and your friends can come to accept the fact that I'm staying with you all soon. I only want to find my son, after all." He strode out of the kitchen, his food container tucked under one arm, as though nothing at all had happened.

Zane continued to stare after him, his mouth agape. He realized at that moment that Garmadon still had his "taste test", but it certainly wasn't in the way he, or anyone else, for that matter, would have suspected. He shuddered again, as though he was still feeling the kiss.

"He is 'fascinating', that is for certain," Zane murmured to himself, picking up the pot of stew and giving a heavy sigh. This would be a long couple of days.

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><p><strong>It took way too long to come up with an idea for this oneshot :,D<strong>

**(I will not apologize for writing this pairing. It was requested, so I wrote it.)**

**So, season 4's still awesome. I think it's my favourite so far :)**

**Thanks to IceFreak101 for requesting this pairing! Stay tuned!**


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